The Future is Past
by chaosmoon75
Summary: Sumiko had grown up listening to her grandmother's tales of Japan since she was little. None of her family had been back since her great-grandparents had left, so the fact that she was going to visit was exciting. What she found though was more than she ever expected and she was soon to know more about the history of Japan than she had ever bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to anything within Inuyasha. That will unfortunately remain true throughout the entirety of this story.

 **A/N:** For any of you following my other stories, I apologize for the delay. Between life and my wayward brain things have been moving slowly. I have decided to work on what I have running through my brain though in the hopes that I will be able to get passed my current block. This is one of those things that have been haunting me for weeks now. I hope you all enjoy!

 **Chapter 1**

Sumiko sat near the back of the train car and stared out the window in slight awe. She hadn't been sure what to expect of her first trip to Japan, since her family had conflicting ideas, but so far, she was pleased. As a Japanese American visiting Japan, she was sometimes looked at a little funny, but everyone she spoke with had been polite so far. That was good enough for her. She was here to soak up the history anyway.

It was a dream trip for her, since her mother had distanced their family from their Japanese heritage, mostly at her father's insistence. Sumiko was close to her grandmother though, and she had filled her head and heart with stories since she was little. Now that she was out of college, she still made it a point to visit her grandmother as often as possible, and when Sumiko had let her grandmother know she wanted to visit Japan, the older woman had been thrilled. No one in their family had been back for generations, so it made her happy that the girl she had helped raise was interested in finding her roots.

As the train came to a stop, Sumiko jumped up and grabbed her things. It wasn't too crowded at this time of day, but she didn't want to miss the stop. As she accidentally bumped another passenger, she gave a polite apology and tried to keep her face from heating. She needed to remember this wasn't the U.S. and she needed to be more mindful of her surroundings. The young woman she had bumped gave her a smile in return and she sent up thanks once again for her grandmother's lessons. At least she could speak the language passably well. Having been around it and speaking nothing but Japanese for the last week also helped. It gave her the chance to remember things she thought she had forgotten.

By the time she gathered her bag she was the last one off, but at least she had made it. The last of the small crowd of people were already heading out of the terminal. She was just glad she would be able to find the place she was looking for in relative peace. The hectic pace of Tokyo was a big shift for her, even compared to college. Her hometown wasn't small, but there weren't many places that could compare to the capital of Japan.

Once she was out of the terminal, it only took her a few moments to arrange her bag across her shoulders and locate the street she needed. She was thankful for the GPS on her phone, as it made the whole trip much easier. It was about a 15-minute walk to the shrine she was looking for. When she turned to pass under the torii the sounds from the street immediately lessened. She noted the stone walls of the pathway made for good insulators.

When she reached the courtyard, she didn't see anyone else around, so she went to the temizuya and quickly rinsed her hands. Once she put the ladle back, she took the opportunity to look around and couldn't hold back a smile. It was peaceful. She was sure that fact was helped by it being empty as well, but it was still nice. She hadn't realized how stressed the city had been making her until it started easing as she slowly walked around the courtyard.

Her gaze was caught by a giant shimboku and she started to head to it, but her attention was caught by a smaller building to the side of the largest shrine building. It looked out of place for some reason. She knew she might not be allowed in it, but she couldn't tell from where she was standing. When she reached it, she noticed a small plaque that read 'Bone-Eater's Well'. She nearly laughed at the overdramatic name, but her attention was drawn by a voice. She couldn't hear it well enough to understand what was being said, but it seemed to be coming from the small building. She looked around once again to make sure it wasn't marked as off limits and when she didn't see anything she moved forward. However, before she made it far, she was caught off guard by a hand on her shoulder. She nearly screamed when she turned quickly, but her surprise was for a new reason when she saw the girl she had bumped into on the train. "I apologize again! I didn't mean to run into you twice."

To her relief the girl smiled at her. "It's my fault for surprising you. I apologize. I live here though, and I thought I might be able to help you. Was there something you needed?"

Sumiko's mind blanked out for just a moment at the girl's question since several things tried to push to the front at the same time. When she spoke, it wasn't what she had expected to say. "I heard a voice from this building. If there really is a well in there, do you think you should check to make sure no one is hurt?"

The girl's eyes widened in shock and she stepped passed Sumiko and towards the building. She didn't make it far before she turned and grabbed Sumiko's arm. "Come with me. I'll get my mother and grandfather and we'll check it out."

They had almost made it to the house on the other side of the shrine before the girl spoke up again. "I apologize for dragging you like that. My name is Higurashi Kagome, by the way. Was there a reason you picked this shrine? It's kind of out of the way."

Sumiko had tensed at Kagome's actions, but it was obvious that she was trying to put her back at ease. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something about the well house, but she tried not to worry about it. Instead she tried to keep calm as well. "My name is Su- I mean Tompkins Sumiko. I was told I should visit this shrine by my grandmother. She wasn't sure if it was still in operation, so she asked if I would check."

Kagome gave her a funny look and it seemed as if she wanted to say something, but before she could an older man came out of the house with a shocked expression. "Kagome, you didn't tell me we had guests. She looks awfully familiar too." He paused and got very close to Sumiko. She bit back on the urge to step back before he spoke again. "Do I know you?"

She gave him a polite smile. "I'm certain you don't sir, as this is my first time in Japan. I have been told that I look like my great-grandmother though, and I believe she spent time at this shrine before she left for America."

His brow furrowed for a moment before they raised in surprise. "Jun, you remind me of Jun!"

She gave him a nod but before she could respond Kagome cut in. "Not now Grandpa. Tompkins-san said she heard something in the well house. We need to go check it out, now!"

At her words his gaze turned kind of grim with a touch of sadness. He put his hand on Kagome's shoulder and squeezed, but before he could say anything a woman that looked very much like Kagome came out with a towel in her hands. She took in the scene and then gave Sumiko a warm smile. "We have a guest, is that what all the ruckus was about?"

"Mom! It's the well!"

The woman Kagome addressed as 'mom', also gave her a sad look, but it quickly changed into a smile as she spoke. "Well go get your stuff. I'll take care of our guest for now."

Kagome didn't hesitate. She quickly ran into the house. Once she was gone the woman turned to Sumiko. "I apologize that things are so hectic right now. Would you like to come in and have some tea while we get this sorted out?"

Sumiko felt like she had somehow walked in on something she shouldn't have, but the voice from the well house had gotten louder and she couldn't keep ignoring it. "Thank you for the offer, ma'am, but I think someone is trapped in that well. They're getting louder. I still can't understand what they're saying, but I can hear it all the way over here. Don't you think we should go see if we can help them?"

At her request the woman's eyes widened but the old man gave her a contemplative look. "If you're Jun's kin that isn't surprising. I was always told she had a lot of potential, but she left it all to go to America with a man. It's a shame too. There aren't many mikos left."

"Pardon me, but what does that have to do with someone being trapped in the well?"

Her question wasn't answered though as Kagome came running back out with an overstuffed yellow backpack. Sumiko almost laughed at the sight. She thought she had over packed her own bag, but that was ridiculous. Her questions went unanswered as Kagome gave her a look that clearly asked why her family had allowed her to stay. It was a moot point when the old man started crying and grabbed the girl.

Sumiko wanted nothing more than to leave at that point, as they were clearly having a family moment. She tried her best to ignore what was going on with them and made her way back to the well. Whatever was going on with them was obviously momentous and she didn't want to interfere, but the sounds coming from the well were almost frantic. She didn't even think they were using words anymore.

She had barely managed to get the door open when she was nearly knocked off her feet by a strong gust of wind. She had no idea where it came from, but the noise had suddenly died down as well. That didn't make Sumiko less nervous though. Instead she nearly panicked at the thought that whoever it was might have been injured and ended up passing out. She quickly made her way down the stairs and opened the cover. She couldn't see very well so she pulled her phone out. The flashlight helped some, but instead of water or dirt, there seemed to be something else that moved in the depths. She wasn't sure what to make of the stuff and leaned over to see if she could tell what it was any better.

At that point, two things happened at the same time. Kagome's voice called out to her loudly and another gust of wind flew up out of the well. She barely had time to process the fact that the wind came out of the _well,_ before she found herself tumbling over the edge. She braced for impact, but it never happened. Instead the face of the girl that she had just met slowly disappeared into the darkness around her.

It was just as she realized it wasn't completely black that the impact finally happened. It wasn't as harsh as she had expected, but it still knocked her off her feet. She looked up, expecting to see Kagome and her family, but instead she was greeted by a bright blue sky. She had no idea what to think of that. She slowly stood and dusted off her bottom and looked up again. This time, there was a head peaking down at her, but something seemed off. She couldn't quite tell as the face was in shadows. She didn't have to wait long though. She nearly screamed when the man jumped down into the well with her.

She did fall back when he got up in her face and started sniffing. He didn't let her fall though. Instead he grabbed her wrist when she fell back and then got up in her face again. "Where's Kagome! Why do you smell like her, but she's not here? How did you get through the well?"

She was shocked by his actions, but more than that, she had finally seen his ears. They moved so naturally that she was momentarily mesmerized. The strange man made a disgusted noise when he noticed what she was looking at but didn't give her notice before he grabbed her and jumped out of the well in one leap.

Sumiko nearly fainted at that but managed to only scream. He nearly dropped her when she did but managed to hold onto her wrist. She struggled against his grip as soon as he stepped back. Her struggling only got worse when he growled at her. She still had not had time to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes and the strange man with dog ears that was growling at her was not helping. She was barely keeping back the panic. They were both interrupted by the sound of a woman's voice. "Inuyasha, what is going on? I thought you felt the well activate? Who is this?"

Sumiko turned to see a woman in a traditional yukata and a man in robes with a staff on the back of the biggest cat she had ever seen. They both jumped down like it was perfectly natural to ride cats; really, really big cats. She could feel the edges of her vision darkening, but she managed to keep herself focused with the thought that there was no telling what would happen if she passed out.

Both the man and the woman started walking toward them, but suddenly there was a flash of light and there was a small cat standing where the big cat had been. No one else seemed to notice. When the cat immediately walked over to Sumiko, her knees finally gave out. She didn't fall over as the man still had her wrist, but they were all giving her looks of concern.

She had no idea what to do when the two-tailed cat came up to her and bumped its head against her arm. It took her a moment to gather her wits enough to even close her mouth. Her attention was drawn to the woman when she knelt in front of her and spoke. "Well, if Kirara likes you I doubt you're an enemy. She doesn't take to strangers. Who are you?"

"My name is Sumiko."

That was all she was able to get out before they were interrupted by a loud voice. "Inuyasha!"

The man holding her suddenly let go and jumped back into the well. Sumiko still had no idea what was going on, but when she realized the voice was the girl Kagome, she suddenly felt a little better. Even though she didn't know the girl, she associated her presence with 'normal' in this weird place, so it was good to hear her.

All of the gathered people swarmed around Kagome when the man jumped out of the well with her. It was obvious they knew each other and had not seen the girl in some time if their actions were anything to go by. They were all speaking at once so Sumiko had a hard time understanding it all, but she gathered enough to know that this meeting was personal. She tried to stand but her legs were still shaky. She sat back for the moment and the cat jumped into her lap. She smiled at the action. She had always loved cats and even though this one was strange, she was beautiful and friendly. Something that she really needed at the moment. She allowed her mind to relax as she pet the cat and tried to get things to fall into a pattern that made sense to her.

She was so absorbed in trying to figure things out that it took her a moment to realize that all talking had stopped. She looked up to see all four of the others looking at her in disbelief. Kagome was the first to step forward. "Sumiko? Are you alright? I didn't know what to think when you fell down the well. What were you doing anyway?"

She was finally calm enough that her legs had stopped shaking so she gently put the cat down and stood. She was sure her face was red when she answered as she had come to realize that she had interrupted something monumental. Kagome wasn't phased by their surroundings at all, so the girl must be used to the strange circumstances. She felt even more out of place when she realized it. She still managed to find her voice. "I apologize. I'm fine, if a little confused. I didn't mean to cause problems, but the voice from the well house was so loud I was worried that someone had been hurt. I had no idea that I was interrupting something."

Kagome gave her a smile at that and shook her head. "I'm sure this is all strange to you, it was to me the first time it happened, but you aren't alone. I heard Grandpa say you are a miko, so that might explain why you heard the well calling you. I'm just surprised it acted that way. I didn't think anyone besides Inuyasha and I could get through."

Sumiko frowned slightly. "The voice was the well?"

Kagome shrugged slightly. "There were no youkai in the well house, so I am assuming it was the well."

"Youkai!? But… they aren't real?" She knew her voice sounded like a question even though it should have been a statement, but between the cat that changed sizes and the ears on the man that still stood close to Kagome, she found she wasn't as sure about that fact as she once had been.

It was the man next to Kagome that answered her. "Keh, I guess that shows that you really are from the same time as Kagome. They're real enough to kill you if you aren't careful."

Sumiko felt her legs start shaking again, but Kirara had started twining around them again. She looked down and felt a little better. It felt like the little cat was trying to help ease her fear. When she looked back up the woman wearing the yukata was looking at the cat with confusion. She looked back up to Sumiko before she spoke. "I have never seen Kirara act like that. She is obviously trying to help you, but I don't understand why."

With a little mew the cat bumped her head against Sumiko's legs once more before she leapt up onto the woman's shoulder. Sumiko smiled at the action before she spoke. "I have no idea what's going on here in the slightest. Would you be able to explain first, please, and then we can figure out why your cat likes me?"

She knew her tone was less than polite, but if she didn't figure something out soon, she knew she was going to break down again and that would be bad under the circumstances. Her rudeness didn't seem to affect any of the others though. Kagome stepped forward and held out her hand. "The well is inactive again, so we can't get you back right away, but I'm sure we'll figure something out. Why don't you walk with us back to the village and we can try to explain on the way?"

Sumiko felt a chill wash over her at the news that the way she came to be here wasn't currently working, but if she could get answers then that would be the next best thing. She took the girl's offered hand and allowed herself to be pulled towards the woods where a small path was. The other woman fell into step on her other side as the girl started trying to explain what the well was, where they were and a little bit about her own adventures in the past. To say that Sumiko was in disbelief was an understatement, but she didn't have the opportunity to ask about it. By the time the girl was finished they had already reached the village.

When she saw the small wooden buildings, it struck her that she really was in the past. Even the fake villages she had seen in parks didn't have the work worn people. These were not actors. They looked to be mostly content, but it was easy to see they worked hard for everything they had. She tried not to stare too much as many of them had paused to call out to their group. They had all fallen silent when they caught sight of Sumiko though. She kept her head down and tried to be as unnoticeable as possible.

By the time they made it to their destination, whispers could be heard behind them. There was a woman waiting for them in the doorway and she was wearing traditional hakama. Sumiko was glad that she gave them a warm smile as they walked up. She was already worried about where and _when_ she was, and worrying about her reception as well, was almost too much. She smiled when Kagome gave her hand a squeeze before she let go and gave the older woman a hug. At least she wasn't left to the circumstances alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** And so Sesshomaru enters. I am trying really hard to keep them all IC, so please let me know if, and how, you think I am or am not. I hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 2**

Once all the greetings were finished, Kagome moved back and introduced Sumiko. The girl gave a respectful bow but wasn't sure what to say as the older woman looked her over. Once she seemed to have come to some sort of decision, she stepped back and motioned them to enter her hut. Everyone followed her in and she waved for them to take their seats while she heated some water. Kagome grabbed Sumiko's hand and led her to a spot across the fire from their hostess. The dog-eared boy sat on Kagome's other side while the rest took their seats where they could find them. When they were all settled, Kagome looked around with a frown before she spoke. "Where is Shippou? I expected him to be the first to greet me."

"Keh, he probably would have been if he weren't in kit school."

Kagome's face fell a little at his response, but it brightened back up again as a young girl rushed in with her arms full of herbs and flowers in her hair. "Rin! I didn't realize you were visiting! Is Sesshomaru-sama here as well?"

The girl, Rin, giggled as she handed her armload to the older woman and smiled when she responded. "Kagome-san, Rin is staying with Kaede now. Sesshomaru-sama asked her if it would be ok so she could help Rin learn." She didn't give Kagome a chance to say anything else before she ran to her and gave her a hug once her arms were empty.

As awkward as the whole scene was for Sumiko, she still smiled at the sight. No matter what the circumstances, it was easy to see that Kagome was loved here and had been missed. She cringed a little again as she thought of the mess she had unwittingly made. She wasn't given much of a chance to dwell on it though as Kagome caught her attention. "Rin, I'd like you to meet Sumiko. She is from the same place I'm from and it looks like she is going to stay with us awhile."

The girl stood and gave her a bright smile. "Nice to meet you Sumiko-san. Will you be staying long?"

Sumiko's heart clenched at her innocent question, but she tried not to let it show. "I really don't know how long I'll be staying." She tried to quickly change the subject and moved to ask questions of her own. "What trade are you learning?" Everyone gave her confused looks at her inquiry, so she hurriedly tried to clarify. "You said your father left you here to learn from Kaede-san, so I assumed you were learning a trade."

It was her turn to be confused when her simple question caused minor chaos. Several people in the room were giving her looks of shock and confusion, while the boy in the red haori was nearly laying over he was laughing so hard. It was finally Kagome that spoke up and tried to reassure her. "Please don't mind Inuyasha, but I would recommend that you don't ever call Sesshomaru-sama Rin's father again either."

At that point, the boy, Inuyasha, interrupted even though he was still laughing. "Oh, but he might as well be. He's gettin' soft."

Kagome glared at him but ignored what he said and tried to explain. "Sesshomaru-sama is Inuyasha's half-brother, but he is a full demon. Rin is his ward, but I don't think he would take kindly to being referred to as her father, even if he might feel that way."

Rin finally interjected at that statement. "Do you really think that Sesshomaru-sama thinks of Rin as a daughter?"

Kagome took Rin's hand and gave it a squeeze. "He may not ever say it, but he takes care of you and that speaks louder than his words ever will."

The girl grinned even bigger than normal and gave Kagome another hug before she turned back to Kaede. "Rin wasn't able to find everything you asked for, but I can keep looking for a little longer." She didn't wait for a response before she skipped back outside with a bright smile.

Once she was gone, Sumiko turned to Inuyasha. Her cheeks were slightly red as she spoke. "I apologize if my question was offensive. I appreciate everything you all have done so far, and I don't want you to think I am ungrateful."

He only gave her another confused look though. It was once again Kagome that stepped up to try and explain. "You don't have to worry about it offending Inuyasha, as they don't exactly get along. I only told you to be careful in case you ever do end up meeting Sesshomaru. He can be a little… scary sometimes."

Inuyasha scoffed. "He ain't scary. If you stay in this village you don't have nothing to worry about."

Kagome glared at him again and looked like she was about to say something this time, but she sighed and turned back to Sumiko. "He's right in the fact that you're safe as long as you're here, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. At least not until you get used to being here and everyone is used to you. This isn't anything like home."

At the reminder that she was in a place so far removed from home that it might as well be a dream, or a nightmare, Sumiko found that she couldn't speak. She gave Kagome a nod as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

The younger girl gave her a sympathetic smile before she spoke. "I know it's probably hard to think about right now, but can you explain a little about why you were at the Sunset Shrine to begin with? You said your grandmother asked you to visit, right?"

Sumiko tried to push back her thoughts about the distance between herself and her family and found that as long as she didn't think about that part of it, talking about her family actually helped her to relax, at least a little. "Well, I'm sure you can tell that I'm not Japanese, or at least I wasn't raised in Japan. My great-grandmother left when she was in her twenties to marry an American. No one from my mother's side of the family has been back to Japan since, at least until me. My grandmother told me all sorts of stories though and the Sunset Shrine was something that she told me her mother talked about all the time."

By this time, she was smiling slightly as she remembered her grandmother's tales. Kagome was glad to see it. "I didn't figure you were from Japan, but you look completely Japanese. Was your father Japanese as well?"

Sumiko realized that under normal circumstances Kagome would never have been so nosy, but she was glad the girl was working to help her relax. She gave her a smile as she continued. "Well, sort of. He's British actually, but his father was Japanese. My family line from both sides is a little convoluted, but if I had to add it all up, I think I am a little less than three-fourths Japanese. Although, I will say I never really thought about it. My father was never interested in keeping up with that part of our heritage. Everything I know, including the language, I learned from my grandmother."

Kagome reached out and squeezed her hand again. It was the woman with the cat, Sango, that spoke though. "I apologize if my questions may sound ignorant, but are you saying you come, not only from the future, but from a country that is not Japan as well?"

Sumiko shook her head and smiled slightly. She hadn't thought of the fact that although she was displaced and worried about home, these people had to be just as confused at her presence, even if they knew Kagome and her story already. "I would never consider that offensive. I'm sure this is just as strange to you as it is to me. From what Kagome has told me already, my country will not actually exist in any real way for another couple hundred years, so it isn't surprising that you wouldn't know it."

There were several gasps at her words. The man in purple robes, Miroku, spoke after he regained his composure. "Your country sounds very young indeed, and yet you are able to travel so freely to the country of your ancestors? Where is your escort?"

It was Sumiko's turn to look flummoxed. "I didn't have one. I've been out of college for a couple of years now and have been taking care of myself just fine."

Kagome jumped in again and tried to be the mediator, not that they were arguing, but she had the unique perspective of mostly understanding both sides. "Miroku, you know I have told you that things are different in the future. I'm not sure how old Sumiko-san is, but it isn't surprising that she is self-sufficient if she is old enough to have finished college already. You remember me telling you that I was still in high-school? I would have gone to college after that if I hadn't come back here."

They all turned curious looks back to Sumiko. She felt her face heat slightly, but she managed to find her voice. "She's right. Things are very different. Although I'm nearly twenty-four, I have never thought about marriage and I have lived alone since I graduated."

Once again, her statement garnered shocked looks, but no one spoke right away. Finally, it was the woman, Kaede, that broke the silence. "The tea is ready if ye would like some."

Sumiko gladly jumped on the distraction, and although she could tell the others were still curious, they all allowed the subject to drop. After they all had their cups, Kagome moved to sit closer to Sango and they fell into a quiet conversation. Both Miroku and Inuyasha watched them with small smiles. Sumiko still felt like an outsider and tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible so they could enjoy they reunion they all so obviously wanted.

It wasn't long until Kaede quietly asked her if she would mind helping her prepare the midday meal. Sumiko was certain she would be more of hindrance in the current circumstances, but at least she could keep her hands busy and try to not dwell on her circumstances. She was thankful that the older woman didn't expect much. She had her peel and cut up a few vegetables. It was a task that was time consuming with the unfamiliar knife she was handed, but she managed to make it work without butchering them. She was thankful that the woman didn't try to force conversation either.

Once she finished her task, she watched as the woman put it all together. It wasn't long until the tiny shack was filled with the smell of the food and Sumiko found her stomach rumbling. Kaede had Inuyasha go and fetch the young girl just before it was done. Everyone expressed their thanks for the meal and quiet descended while they ate. Once they were finished, Sumiko offered to help with the clean-up as well. The woman thanked her with a smile but declined the offer. Sumiko had to repress a shudder when she watched the woman merely rinse everything in a bucket of water and put them on a shelf to dry.

The others had fallen back into quiet conversation once again, but this time Sumiko noticed that the two men and Rin had gone. It was now just the women. The two younger women were completely engrossed with each other, and Sumiko was only getting more uncomfortable. Finally, she stood. They all looked up at her with curious glances and she tried to keep her face from betraying her embarrassment. She didn't want to intrude, but she knew she would end up going crazy if she stayed there any longer. "I apologize for interrupting you, but would it be alright if I take a walk?"

Kagome looked a little stricken when she realized they had pretty much been ignoring their guest. "You don't need to apologize. We shouldn't have been ignoring you. Please don't feel like you have to leave to let us talk."

Sumiko shook her head and managed a smile. "I understand that you want to catch up. I didn't feel like you were leaving me out at all, but I do feel like I need some fresh air. I promise I will stick close to the village and will not cause any problems."

Kagome still looked unsure, but Sango placed her hand on the girl's arm before she spoke. "It should be fine. Both Miroku and Inuyasha should be close-by still. At least let one of them know that you are going to take a walk, so they will know to listen for any trouble."

Sumiko was sobered by the thought that she really could run into something dangerous, but her need to get away and think was stronger than her fear. She gave the woman a nod. "I will. Thank you."

With that, she gave them all a quick bow and ducked out of the building. Luckily, it wasn't difficult for her to spot one of the men. The monk was near the hut speaking with several children, including the girl, Rin. When she told him what she wanted, he looked a little concerned, but didn't try to stop her. She was thankful for their understanding as she turned toward the village.

She immediately realized that she didn't want to walk through the center of the town. At least not by herself. She was already getting wary looks, and although she doubted they would try to harm her, she wanted to keep her interference in their lives to a minimum. She tried not to think about the fact that she might not have that option for long, but for now she felt it was best. That was the same reason she avoided heading for the fields as well.

It wasn't long until she found herself back on the path they had taken to reach the village. She hadn't even realized she was heading back to the well until she reached the edge of the clearing. She paused at the edge before she slowly made her way back to it. She hesitated about a foot away and had to steel her nerves to take the last step. When she finally stepped forward and looked over the edge, she released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She felt disappointment fill her when she found nothing but vines and dirt. She leaned heavily against the side of the well and took several deep breaths to try and keep from crying. It was as she looked down once again that she noticed something glint. Although she was still near tears, her curiosity helped to keep them at bay. She leaned a little farther and gasped when she realized her bag was sitting at the base. It didn't take her long to test the vines before she slowly made her way back to the bottom.

She had half hoped that once she was in the well her way home would suddenly open up, but it was a hope that she had not allowed to flourish too much. Even so, her disappointment was harsh when she stood there for several minutes and nothing happened. Finally, she reached down and pulled her bag over her shoulder. She could no longer ignore her tears as they started to fall. She sat down at the bottom of the dry well, pulled her knees up and rested her head on them while she allowed her tears free reign.

She wasn't sure how long she had been down there, but she knew she couldn't stay forever. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeves and pushed herself up. She was surprised when her hand brushed against something cold and metallic though. She looked down and nearly laughed at the sight of her phone. She must have dropped it when she was pulled into the well and somehow it had ended up on this side. When she turned it over, she felt like crying again. The screen was shattered, and it was obvious it would never work again. She still put it in her pack before she moved back to the vines and made her way out again.

Once she was out, she looked back to the path and debated whether she should head back. The sun was still high though and she wasn't any nearer to feeling like she could handle everything. Instead of moving toward the path, she looked behind the well. She was surprised to see the top of a giant camphor tree peaking slightly above the others. She wondered if it was the same one that was marked as a shimboku in her time. It didn't take her long to reach it and she smiled at the sight of the shimenawa. Although the tree was smaller, she was certain it was the same one. This physical link to her own time was not nearly as depressing as her destroyed phone.

She placed a hand on the trunk and let her mind fall to silence, or at least as silent as she could get it. She stood there for a few moments before she opened her eyes and looked up. In her own day and age, she would have felt a little foolish to do what she was about to, but in the here and now she felt it was right. "I know you haven't gotten there yet, but you are a link to something precious to me. Would you mind if I shelter in your boughs for a short time?"

She didn't really expect an answer, but she waited a few minutes anyway. She did feel kind of foolish when nothing at all happened. She shook her head at herself as she moved to climb up the branches and reassured herself that at least nothing bad happened either. It took her several minutes to find a nice little nook where three branches grew close together. She settled in and managed to get comfortable before she pulled her bag around and started going through it.

As she pushed her several changes of clothes about inside the bag, she was suddenly very grateful that she had taken to carrying it around with her. It contained everything that she had traveled with, including some personal hygiene items and, most amazingly, her iPod. When she pulled it out, she realized that once it was dead, there would be no way to recharge it since usable electricity hadn't been invented yet. The thought depressed her again, but she popped her headphones in anyway. It would eventually die whether she used it or not, and she didn't see any reason to let it go to waste.

She had a lot of music, so it took her several minutes to pick what she really wanted to listen to, what meant to most to her at the moment, since this was probably her last time using it. Once she picked out a playlist she leaned back and closed her eyes and let the music work its magic on her stress. It wasn't long until she was singing along with it and completely ignoring her tears again.

* * *

Sesshomaru had not been far from Inuyasha's village, since he had recently been to visit Rin. His attention was pulled back that way when he felt a rush of power that was both familiar and still unknown. His curiosity about what it was would have been enough to change his path, but the fact that it came from the area near where his ward was staying, was enough to make him form his cloud of youki to travel faster.

His aura was completely concealed when he arrived. It wasn't that he cared if Inuyasha knew he had returned, but if there was something else nearby, he planned to find it first. He sniffed the air and his eyebrows rose when he detected the scent of the woman that used to travel with his brother. She had been gone for nearly three years, so it was unexpected. He wondered briefly if her return could have been the cause of the surge of power, but he was stopped mid-thought when he caught another scent. This one was new to him, but there was something about it that tugged at a memory.

He skirted the village as he followed the scent and it wasn't long until he picked up the sound of a girl singing. He could not understand any of the words though. He passed the well, and although his curiosity was peaked further by the smells around it, he pressed forward towards the sound. She was also the source of the smell that he was tracking.

He stopped at the base of the tree Inuyasha had been pinned to and looked up. He could see a young girl dressed in clothes he had never seen before. At least her legs were covered though. If Inuyasha's woman had anything to do with this one, then it wouldn't have surprised him to see her wearing a similar short kimono, even though the strange hakama that clung close to her skin was just as odd.

After he spent a moment trying to understand what she was singing, he let go of the hold on his aura and jumped up in the tree behind where the girl was sitting. She paused and shuddered when he had released his youki, but she only looked around a moment before she closed her eyes again and started humming.

He watched her curiously for a moment before he moved to her side and spoke imperiously. "You will immediately tell this Sesshomaru who you are and why you are here."

The girl didn't move. In fact, it was as if she hadn't heard him at all. He felt his irritation rise at being ignored and it was slightly audible in his voice. "You will not ignore this Sesshomaru unless you wish to die. I will not repeat myself, now answer."

When she continued to act oblivious, he reached down and jerked her to her feet. As soon as he touched her, her eyes flew open and she screamed. He ignored the noise and merely growled at her. At the sound she looked like she wanted to faint, but she finally managed to find her voice. Nothing she said made sense though. She might as well have been spouting gibberish, although he felt that wasn't the case.

His scowl slid from the girl though when he felt his brother approach. He transferred it to the annoying hanyou when he jumped up near them. His brother's words surprised him though. "Eh, Sesshomaru, you might as well stop growling. From the sounds of it, you scared so bad she reverted to her native language. I told Kagome I'd protect her too, so unless you're lookin' for a fight, you should let her go."

Sesshomaru found that his curiosity increased at Inuyasha's words, but he didn't let it show as he put his other hand on the girl's throat. An act that even she could tell was a threat if her whimper was anything to go by. "This Sesshomaru holds no fear for your yapping, and she is already in my grasp. What could you do to stop me?"

He smirked at the tension that filled his brother, but he was surprised again as the girl in his grasp finally spoke in words he could understand. "Um, sir… I'm not sure what is going on, but could you please release me?"

He looked down his nose at her. She had managed to turn her head just enough, so he could see her eyes. He was satisfied at the fear he found but was surprised that she no longer showed it in anything but her look. He merely scowled at her though. "Why should this Sesshomaru let you live? You have ignored and disrespected me."

He had no real desire to kill the woman, as his curiosity currently outweighed the irritation he had felt, but he would not allow her disrespect to go unchecked. Her eyes had widened at his words, but her voice barely shook when she answered. "I never meant to disrespect you and apologize if anything I have done seems that way. I didn't even realize you were next to me until you grabbed my arm. If I shouldn't be here, I will beg your pardon and leave."

He was confused by the last part of her statement but understood the rest well enough. "How could you not hear this Sesshomaru speak. You are obviously not deaf."

She slowly raised her hands, so he could see what she was holding tightly. It flashed like polished metal, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. "This is why. I was listening to music and didn't hear you speak. I apologize again."

He finally released her throat and allowed her to balance herself against the tree trunk before he let go of her arm. Once she was steady, he held out his hand. "Give it to me."

She hesitated but quickly handed it to him when he glared. He could hear his brother muttering nearby as well, but he ignored them both as he brought the strange item closer. There was an odd string attached to it that split and ended in two round knobs. He turned it over several times before he looked back to the girl. "This kept my voice from you?"

She nodded before he held it back again. "Show me how."

He could tell that she was still frightened but she managed to take it back. She grabbed the two knobs at the end of the string and held one of them up to him. "First you have to put this in your ear." He gave her a dubious look, but she pressed on. "Like this." At her words, she turned her ear towards him and showed him how she had slipped them into the bottom of her ear. He noticed that with it inserted it was difficult to see and realized that was why he hadn't noticed them previously, especially since her hair had been down around her face.

When she held it out again, he finally took it. It was not as easy for him to do what she had done, and it irritated him slightly, but it wasn't long until he felt it was secure. He gave her another imperious look once it was seated. "I hear no music."

She tried not to show her fear under his glare. "I turned it off. Allow me to turn it back on." When he only gave her an impatient look, she pulled the device up, so he could see and pressed against a slight indent. He couldn't contain his shock when a small portion of the device lit up from within. She touched the light and suddenly there was music coming from the part he had in his ear. He instantly pulled it out and looked at the knob and was surprised that the volume had decreased drastically. He pulled it close to his ear again. None of the words made sense, but it sounded similar to the noises she had been making previously. He assumed it was in her native tongue, as his brother had called it.

He finally let it drop and didn't hide his curiosity when he spoke again. "What kind of magic is this?"

She gave him a confused look, but it cleared, and she actually smiled at him. "It isn't magic, it's technology." She paused at that and her face fell a little. "It won't last much longer anyway. Once it dies, I won't be able to use it again unless I can find a way back home."

None of what she said made sense, but it did make him more curious. "You say it is not magic, yet you claim that it lives. How else can you imbue metal with life besides magic?"

She looked dumbfounded at his words, but only for a moment. She ran her hand down her face and looked down before she finally looked back to him. "I promise it isn't magic. This is man-made, but I suppose I can see how it might look like magic. I can try to explain as best as I can, but could we please get down from here first?"

He only thought a moment before he responded. "This Sesshomaru will agree to allowing you to live if you can explain to my satisfaction."

Her eyes widened at his reminder that he had casually threatened her life once already. His brother also let him know that he was not happy with the demand, but he ignored them both as he jumped down. He waited only long enough to watch as the girl grabbed a bag and quickly put the device in it before pulling it over her shoulders and swinging down the branch to the one below it and then down to the ground.

He hid his further surprise. She did not act like any other human woman he had met, besides perhaps the taijiya, although she didn't act like a demon hunter either. She also wasn't like his brother's woman. She was not nearly so clumsy. It was an irrelevant thought though and he pushed it away as he called back to his brother. "The woman and I will be staying by the well. Tell Rin that this Sesshomaru will see her tomorrow."

Inuyasha started to yell his typical threats, but Sesshomaru ignored them. They were nothing new. He did lift a brow though when it was the woman that tried to calm him. "Inuyasha-san, I apologize for being so much trouble, and I thank you for trying to help me, but I have agreed to speak with Sesshomaru-sama."

By this time, Sumiko had finally realized who the strange man was and, although she was terrified and could understand why Kagome had warned her, she would not try to slip out of her agreement. Not that she thought she could anyway. Inuyasha was still cursing under his breath but he finally relented. He turned to his brother with one last glare before he headed to the village. "I know you think she owes you something, but if anything happens to her, you'll pay."

Sesshomaru continued to ignore his brother's pointless barking as he made his way to the dry well. Once he made it to the clearing, he turned back to the girl that had been running to keep up. "Now, explain how something like that lives without magic."

Sumiko nearly rolled her eyes at his insistence in believing her iPod was magic. It was only the memory of his claws on her throat that kept her from it. If she had any doubt about Kagome's claims before, that thought alone robbed her of them. She had no doubt that the man in front of her wasn't human. She could practically feel the power pulsing from him and it nearly made her sick, but she managed to at least keep calm. She knew this was going to be a long conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sumiko held up the little piece of electronics again and pushed the button to light it up. She was nervous at how close the intimidating male was, but she knew there was no way she could explain and him not want to be close enough to see what she meant. She held it up so he could see better and tried to explain better than she had before. "This is powered by a… oh… I call it a _battery._ "

The look he gave her at that was less harsh than she had expected. She realized it was because he was curious when he spoke again. "What is a battery? Is that the source of your magic?"

She took a deep breath before she could respond without saying something that would get her in trouble. "I don't have magic. It is something that stores electricity."

His brows drew down slightly. "What is electricity? That is another unfamiliar word."

She suddenly realized that it might be more difficult than she expected to try and explain everything. The thought had her shaking slightly. The last thing she wanted was to make the powerful male angry. Her voice trembled slightly when she answered. "Electricity is like… I suppose the closest thing you could compare it to would be lightning."

His eyes widened slightly. "You have the power to harness the forces of nature?"

She panicked slightly at the sight of the glint of interest in his eyes. She shook her head quickly. "No, it isn't like that. It isn't that it's harnessed from nature at all. Man figured out how to produce it and then they figured out how to store it."

His eyes narrowed at that. "Most men don't even have the knowledge to read and those that do are only interested in warfare. How could any man do something that even youkai cannot?"

She was shocked at his obvious distaste for mankind. He practically wore a sneer when he dismissed the possibility completely. She wasn't sure how she was going to convince him that she was indeed telling the truth. Youkai didn't even exist in her time, and she was at a loss as to how to explain that fact. She suddenly remembered that she had something else that might help in her explanation. "Where I'm from, most people can read at the very least. There are people that specialize in different things, so not everyone has the knowledge to make things like this work, but they at least know the basics of how to use it. I have something else that might be able to help me show you."

She paused and pulled her bag up so she could pull out her broken phone. He didn't even try to hide his interest in her things as she pushed them around. She sighed in frustration at the fact that the one thing she was looking for seemed to have made its way to the bottom of her bag, even in the short amount of time it had been in there. She hissed when her hand finally brushed against the broken screen and she felt a sharp prick. She instantly pulled that hand out and inspected it to see if any glass had stuck. When she saw nothing but blood, she grimaced and reached back in with her other hand, more carefully that time. She grabbed the phone and pulled it out.

She tried to juggle it awkwardly in her uninjured hand to keep from getting blood everywhere. She must have done more than prick it as the blood had started to drip. She grimaced and tried to find something she wouldn't mind getting stained to clean it up with. She froze when she heard Sesshomaru growl. Her eyes shot up and he was giving her an irritated look. She could hear it in his voice as well.

"Give this Sesshomaru your hand." She was confused at first, until he growled slightly again at her delay. She nearly jumped before she held up her empty hand. Her confusion didn't clear at first, until he brought her hand up to his mouth. When he licked the blood off and then licked the cut once more, she couldn't hold back her gasp. Her brain felt like it short circuited at his actions. It was made worse when his grasp tightened slightly. His eyes had widened before they narrowed, and the look he gave her was just shy of a glare. "You are a miko."

Her brain was still not functioning properly, so it took her longer than normal to translate what he had said. His glare deepened and she jerked slightly when his grip tightened further, but she still started talking. "Until I ended up here, I never thought mikos were anything other than the maidens that helped kannushi in the temples. Kagome-san seems to believe that I am though."

His eyes narrowed further, and he growled slightly before he spoke. "Are you telling this Sesshomaru that you do not believe you are a miko? You did not know your own heritage?

She felt her self trembling under his harsh gaze, but she managed to find her voice. "Where I'm from, youkai don't even exist. Why would I know something obscure like that about my family history?"

Sesshomaru stilled at her words. The look he gave her was unreadable and she saw him sniff before his eyes widened again. "This Sesshomaru can scent no lie. Where could you be from that there are no youkai?"

She was shocked slightly that he had believed her so easily. It took her a moment to realize it was because he said he couldn't smell her lying. Her mind reeled again at the thought that she had no idea what he was capable of, or what he really was to begin with. She knew enough from her grandmother's stories to realize the male in front of her would be what her grandmother called a mononoke, a demon that could take the shape of a human, but that meant she also knew that he had another shape and there was no telling what that would be. She knew it was an animal of some sort, if his brother's ears were anything to go by, but that still left many options.

She realized she had been staring at him and not answering when he glared at her and pulled her hand, making her step closer. He leaned down and put his face close to hers. When he spoke, there was a growling undertone. "This Sesshomaru has been patient with you so far, miko. Do not think that this one will hesitate to kill you if you continue to waste this one's time."

Sumiko froze under his glare and at his proximity, but she was saved from trying to answer when she heard the voice of Sango. The male that was still holding onto her, turned his glare to the people that had entered the clearing. Inuyasha was standing at the edge of the clearing with Kagome, and Sango had walked past them and bowed before she spoke. "Excuse us for interrupting Sesshomaru-sama, but we have given Sumiko-san sanctuary. If there is something wrong, please allow us the opportunity to help."

Sumiko had hoped the girl's words would at least prompt him to let her go, but instead he pulled her to his side and kept an iron grip on her wrist. "The only thing this Sesshomaru requires is for the miko to quit hesitating and answer this one's questions."

Sango's eyes widened at his words and Sumiko saw the girl frown, but her voice was still polite when she spoke. "Please forgive her if she seems hesitant. She has only just arrived and is unused to things here. I'm sure you have already noted that Japanese is not her first language as well. I am certain that any hesitation she has shown is not purposeful."

At that point Kagome walked forward and joined Sango. She also bowed but her voice was not nearly as polite. "I have already told her she would be protected if she stayed in this village. I would appreciate it if you let her go. I'm sure she would be willing to answer your questions much quicker if she weren't frightened out of her wits."

Sesshomaru frowned at her tone and Inuyasha immediately moved in front of her. He gave Kagome a glare before he spoke. "You're wasting your breath trying to talk to that stubborn dog." He then turned to his brother. "You know, it's been awhile since I got to fight you. I'd be happy to give you a closer look at Tessaiga again if you want."

Sesshomaru sneered at Inuyasha before he spoke. "Quiet mutt. You are already aware that this one no longer desires father's legacy. This Sesshomaru has already created one." He finally turned to Sumiko. "Miko, know that any vow you make to this one is not made lightly. You will finish or die. Do you still wish to try to leave?"

Sumiko suddenly understood that he looked upon her agreement as a vow. She knew he would have no qualms in killing her if he felt she was not upholding her end. That was the whole reason she had been terrified. She also understood that he was more curious than angry. In a flash of realization, she grasped onto he fact that as long as she kept his curiosity sated, she would be fine. It had been her fear and hesitation that caused his continued anger. She almost smiled as she finally relaxed, at least enough that she could speak clearly. There was no way she could be that close to him and lose all her fear. She bowed her head like she had seen the others do before she spoke. "I would never go back on a vow. I will stay and answer your questions."

She then turned to the others and hoped they would understand the words she wasn't saying. "Thank you all for coming here to help. But I did agree to speak with Sesshomaru. I will not go back on my word."

Kagome looked worried and Inuyasha gave her a look of disgust, but Sango put her hand on Kagome's arm before the girl could speak again. She then stepped forward and spoke. "We understand. We will wait for you to finish then."

Sumiko watched as Sango then pulled Kagome back to the edge of the clearing. The girl stopped them before they were back on the trail and she could see that Kagome was not happy, but she couldn't hear what was said. Apparently Sesshomaru could though, as he sneered at them before he turned back to Sumiko with a curious look. His next question was completely unexpected. "Why are you no longer afraid of this one?"

Her shock was clear on her face until she realized it must have been because he could no longer smell her fear. She still quickly tried to answer to keep him from getting angry again. "It isn't that I don't know you are capable of harming me, but I realized that we did make an agreement. As long as I stick to my end of it, you will uphold yours as well."

His face became a blank mask and he made a noncommittal noise before he turned them both. When they got to the well, he pointed at the ground. "Sit."

She didn't hesitate to do as instructed but she was surprised when he joined her. Her surprise turned to nervousness when he spoke. "Now, you will tell this one where you are from to not have youkai, along with what role this well plays in your story. I can scent my brother's pack all over it along with yours."

She knew she would have to tell him the truth, no matter how strange it sounded, as he would be able to smell a lie. Before she could start her explanation, she gasped. She had suddenly come to a realization. This male was a dog demon. She should have realized when the two brothers were talking to each other, but it really clicked when he mentioned 'his brother's pack'. She pushed the thought back for the moment. It wasn't that important. For the moment, keeping him appeased and her alive was her first priority.

"I am uncertain if you know of Kagome's origins, and if you don't then this will not make sense, but we both come from the future. Kagome said it was about 500 years. I don't know the exact time here, so it's hard for me to say. The reason you smell us around the well, is because that is how we got here. According to her, she used to be able to use it at will before the Shikon no Tama was destroyed. It was just happenstance that it activated while I was there. It's not working now though. I tried."

She had looked away from him at that last part to keep him from seeing the tears that had started to fill her eyes. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her crying. She had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate it much. She blinked several times to keep them in, but one fell anyway. She didn't have a chance to worry about it as it wasn't long until he spoke. "This one can smell no lie, but your story takes much to believe."

She turned to look at him after wiping her face and found that he was staring at the well. She barely heard him when he spoke again. "It could explain the many strange things my brother's woman has said and done, not to mention her odd clothing." He looked back to her with a hard look. "You will tell this one about your time, but not now."

At that he stood and turned to walk back toward the edge of the clearing. "You will be back here tomorrow at sunrise. Rin will accompany you."

Sumiko had already gotten to her feet, but she was shocked by his words. She realized that he expected their conversation to be a long one, but she had no idea why he was letting her rest. Not that she wasn't thankful. When he paused at the edge of the woods, she knew it was so she could give her confirmation. She scrambled to bow, even though she wasn't sure if he would see it, before she spoke. "Of course. Thank you for letting me rest tonight."

"Hn." That was the last thing she heard before he disappeared into the woods. Once he was gone, Sumiko turned slowly back to the trail that led back to the village. Her head was so full of what she had just gone through that she was having a tough time digesting it all. It had only been that morning that she was on a train in Tokyo. It seemed impossible that it wasn't a lifetime ago.

She hadn't made it very far down the trail when she was intercepted by Inuyasha with a frowning Kagome on his back. The girl quickly scrambled down and came to her. Her voice held a tone of worry. "Are you alright? How did you convince him to let you go?"

Sumiko suddenly found that she could no longer hold back the tears she had been fighting. She still tried to speak, though her voice was rough. "I'm so sorry that I caused you problems again. I know you said to stay close to the village, but I didn't realize-"

Kagome cut her off with a hug. "It's alright. I know this has got to be hard for you. Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you got away from Sesshomaru. He can be such a pushy jerk."

Sumiko giggled despite her tears. When she pulled back, she gave Kagome a smile and wiped her face before she spoke. "Thank you. I really am sorry that I keep causing issues, but I'm glad you're here."

Kagome gave her a bright smile and pulled her around to face a scowling Inuyasha. He obviously had something he wanted to say, but he only grunted before he turned to walk them back to the village. Kagome pulled her to follow him before she started speaking again. "So, how did you manage to get away from Lord Pushy pants?

Sumiko tried to hold back her laughter so she could answer. "Actually, he let me go. He told me to be back at the well at sunrise with Rin."

Kagome paused at that and Inuyasha turned with a glare. The looks they were giving her had the hair on the back of her neck raising. "What? Does that mean something bad?"

Kagome chuckled awkwardly and waved away the panicked note in her voice. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm sure it's no big deal."

Once again, Inuyasha gave her a glare and she knew the girl was only trying to make her feel better. She didn't push though. In the end, she was sure the truth would come out. She doubted much could be done either way. At least she felt heartened that he had given her a break.

Once they got to the village, Kagome left Sumiko at Kaede's house and went to presumably find one of the others. They made it just in time for Sumiko to assist Rin with preparing the vegetables for their dinner. Rin kept up a mostly one-sided conversation while they worked. Sumiko was too worried to do more than listen mostly, although she did pay attention when the girl took the time to show her how to peel the roots more effectively with the large knife.

Just before the meal was finished Kagome and Sango came back. Sumiko was glad that neither of them looked nervous, but that only lasted until they all sat down, and Sango spoke up. "Sumiko-san, what exactly did Sesshomaru-sama tell you when he left?"

Sumiko swallowed the food she had in her mouth before she answered. "He told me he wanted to know everything about where I am from, but not today. He told me to meet him back in the clearing at sunrise and that Rin would accompany me."

A flash of worry crossed Sango's face, but it was cleared when Rin spoke up. "Sesshomaru-sama asked to have Rin come as well? Will we be going with him?"

Kagome gave the girl a smile, but Sumiko could see it was strained slightly, even though she couldn't hear it when she spoke. "As much as I know you would love to travel with him again, I'm sure he just wants to see you again before he leaves." She then turned to Sumiko. "Don't worry about it. Inuyasha told me what happened. I'm sure he is just curious as he has never seen any electronics before. From what I've learned, his desire for new knowledge is part of what keeps him wandering. Once you've satisfied his curiosity, I'm sure he'll move on." Neither of the girls looked very happy at her words, and she chuckled nervously again. She ignored the sadness on Rin's face and quickly changed the subject.

Once dinner was finished, they helped Kaede put everything away and then sat for a little bit to chat again. Sumiko didn't pay much attention to the conversation, as it was mostly still catching up and their plans for the future. At the mention of the future, Sumiko could feel her eyes filling again, but she managed to keep the tears from spilling over. Even if she had no idea what would end up happening to her, she was already a burden on Kagome and the rest. She didn't want to add to it.

It wasn't too long before Rin started yawning. Once Kagome caught sight of it, she gave the girl a smile. "Looks like it's time for bed."

Rin looked like she wanted to stay up longer, but her eyes were already drooping. Even Sumiko smiled at the sight as she helped Kagome pull out a couple of futons. Kagome gave her an apologetic smile. "I know there isn't much room here, but we'll figure out something else tomorrow. I'm going to stay with Sango and Miroku tonight."

Sumiko gave her a curious look at that, since she was sure Kagome and Inuyasha were together. It only took her a moment to remember where, or rather when, they were. It was likely that they were not married yet and as such it would be frowned upon if they stayed together until they were. She knew it was none of her business though, so she only gave the girl a nod as they finished laying out the bedding. She helped Rin into one of them and curled up behind her. Since there were only two futons it was the best option. As much as she had on her mind, it didn't take long for her exhaustion to win out.

* * *

The next morning, Sumiko was awoken by the sound of someone moving around nearby. She opened her eyes to see Rin had curled up to her sometime in the night. She gave the sleeping girl a smile before she looked up to Kaede taking care of the morning chores. When the woman saw her watching she spoke up. "Tis nearly dawn. The Western Lord would not want to be made to wait."

Sumiko frowned a little at the woman's words. She hadn't realized that he was some sort of youkai royalty, given what she had seen of him and his family, but his attitude made much more sense after learning that. She shook those thoughts off though. If was nearly dawn, they needed to get going. She gave Rin a little shake to wake her up and smiled when the girl gave her a sleepy grin. It didn't take them long to get everything put away.

Rin had already headed out, but Sumiko lagged behind for a moment. "I wanted to thank you for helping me."

Kaede gave her a soft smile. "There is no need for thanks child. Ye are welcome here."

Sumiko smiled and gave her a nod. She had many other things that she wanted to ask as well, but she knew now wasn't the time. When she ducked out, she was surprised to see Kagome and the others waiting with Rin. She gave them a curious look, but didn't have the chance to speak before Inuyasha started. "There is no telling what that bastard's up to. Besides, it ain't safe to have the two of you walk through the woods alone."

Sumiko gave him a smile. "Thank you." Her smile turned to a grin when he looked at her uncomfortably and turned to lead them back to the clearing. The walk back was nearly silent. The only sound was a quietly humming Rin. It was obvious that the girl was excited to see Sesshomaru. Sumiko couldn't understand why, but she wasn't going to ask either.

By the time they made it, the sun was just starting to rise over the woods. Sumiko gasped and panicked slightly when she saw that Sesshomaru was already there. He was sitting against a tree on the far side of the clearing with an arm propped on one knee. She could already feel her stomach roiling at the thought that he had been waiting. That thought was paused when she heard Rin cry out and start running. "Sesshomaru-sama!"

He had started to stand as soon as they cleared the edge of the woods, so when she reached him, he put a hand on her head. Sumiko could hardly believe how much softer his features were when he looked down to the girl. He didn't say anything though as the rest of them had finally reached him. He ignored all of them except for Sumiko. His voice was cold when he spoke. "We are leaving."

That was all he said before he turned, and a grinning Rin started following him. Sumiko was at a complete loss until she heard Kagome mumbling angrily. "I knew it!"

Sumiko didn't have to wonder what it was about for long. Kagome immediately called out. "Hey, Sesshomaru! You know not everybody has to do what you say."

The youkai paused but didn't turn around immediately. Sango quickly moved to hush Kagome and spoke in her stead. "We apologize Sesshomaru-sama. We understand that there is business between you and Sumiko-san, but please remember that she is an untrained miko. It would not be good if she were to be around other youkai and accidentally do harm."

At that, he finally turned with a frown. "Taijiya, are you questioning this one's ability to handle those in his care?"

Sango wasn't fazed by his anger as she continued. "Of course not. I would never question you, it is only that it would be best if she were trained at least enough to be able to control her powers if she is to go with you. I would not want her to burden you either."

There was complete silence at that as he considered her request. When he finally spoke, there were several released breaths. "This Sesshomaru will allow six months. She will come with this one at that time. This one will also check on her progress."

He ignored their responses as he started to turn. His gaze landed on the downturned head of Rin, and most barely heard when he spoke to her. "Rin." She looked up and gave him a smile that everyone could see was strained. "You may travel with this one until the next time I return."

Sumiko was at a complete loss for words when the girl smiled so wide, she thought her face would split. Nothing else was said until the two of them disappeared into the woods. Once they were gone, Sango turned to them with a worried look. "At least that gives us some time."

Sumiko wasn't sure what the woman meant by that, but her mind was still whirling too fast to care. She had barely been there a day, and already things were spinning out of control. There wasn't anything she could do about it though, so she followed the others back to the village with the hope that she would be able to find answers soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As they headed through the woods, Sumiko tried to sort through what had happened and what her options might be. She really only wanted to get home, but the universe seemed to be conspiring to not make that possible. When they got closer, she finally decided she needed to focus on what options she did have instead of wishing for things she didn't. When she looked up, she realized the others had been talking quietly between themselves, but it stopped instantly as her gaze landed on them.

Sango gave her a reassuring smile that Sumiko appreciated. She could still hear the tremor in her own voice, but she pretended it wasn't there. "I appreciate you stepping in, but what training did you mean?"

Sango and Kagome both paused for Sumiko to catch up before Sango gave her another smile. "As a miko you have many things you need to learn. Don't worry about beginning at your age. Kagome is still learning as well. I am certain Kaede will be happy to help."

Sumiko gave her a slow nod, but she didn't feel relieved. "I really appreciate that you all are willing to help, but I'm still lost. Things have happened so quickly that I feel as if I must be dreaming."

Kagome gave her an understanding look. "I know you have no reason to want to stay here, so don't worry that we will be giving up on finding a way to get you back just because Lord Pushy Pants declares that he will be back for you. It really would be best for you to learn to control your power while you are here, but if I can make it happen, it won't be long."

Sumiko gave her a smile. She was still worried, but it helped that she was surrounded by people that cared, even though she was a stranger. "Thank you." She looked between the two women before she continued. "What kind of training will it be anyway?"

Kagome smiled brightly at that point. "Well, first we need to teach you to recognize your power, so you don't accidentally use it, then we can teach you to focus it. There are a few other things too, like archery and maybe some martial arts, although, I have never been good at that part myself. It does help to be able to defend yourself against those demons that might attack you just because you are a miko."

Sumiko hadn't thought about being attacked, although that should have been her first assumption after her recent ordeal with Inuyasha's brother. She shuddered when she thought about his claws on her neck. Kagome must have seen it as she laid a reassuring hand on her arm before she spoke. "Don't worry about it too much. For the most part, this village is safe. I know it's probably hard to believe what we are telling you, but I'm sure you used your power accidentally when you were little and never realized it. This is for the best, even if you do go home. I know you have probably never knowingly seen a youkai, but I know that at least a few still exist in our time." Sumiko stared at Kagome in shock at that, but she couldn't find the words to speak.

By that time, they had made it back to the village and it was bustling with people leaving their huts to head out into the fields, or to whatever other chores they might have. When they got to Kaede's hut, Kagome stopped and gave Sumiko an evaluating look. "I understand why you might want to hang on to your regular clothes, but while you are training, it might be best if we find you a miko's hakama. It will make the villagers less jumpy. I hated it when I first got here, but I'll be wearing one too."

Sumiko grimaced at the thought of trying to learn anything physical in the baggy outfit she associated with modern miko, but she shrugged when she realized it was better than being forced into a kimono. "I can live with that. As long as I get to keep my own stuff close by, then it shouldn't be a problem."

Kagome gave her a smile before she ducked into Kaede's hut and the others followed. It was Sango that spoke up. "Kaede-sama, the Western Lord had planned on taking Sumiko-san with him this morning. We have convinced him that she needs to learn how to be a miko first. He has given us six months, although he also said he will be checking on her progress. It would not surprise me if he decides to take her earlier if her training shows promise."

Both Kagome and Sumiko looked at her in shock. Sumiko found her voice first. "I thought he was honorable? Would he really go back on his word?" She felt her heart racing at the thought of him killing her once he was done with her despite what he said.

Sango tried to reassure her. "It isn't that at all. He would never break a vow once he has made one, but his allowance had an unspoken agreement that if he finds you excel, then he may take you. The same would go if he feels you are not making progress due to a lack of diligence. He would not hesitate to punish you. I don't tell you this to scare you, but it would be better if you are prepared."

Despite the fact that the woman had been trying to reassure her, she found that news only made her nearly panic and it showed in her voice. "That doesn't exactly help me focus." Another thought struck her at that point. "If you were able to find a way home for me and I left before he was satisfied, would he attack your village?"

Both girls looked away from her with worried eyes, but Kaede found the voice to speak. "Worry not about us child. Ye have enough to think about. Focus now on your training. We will start this morning."

Sumiko knew the woman was only trying to help, so she tried to keep her voice even. "I will do my best, but please do not downplay the danger. I would rather know everything so that I can make my best decision. I would never want another to suffer from my actions if I can avoid it."

Kagome put her hand on her arm with a smile. "Don't worry about it too much. It may never happen and if it does, we always have Inuyasha. He has beaten Sesshomaru before."

Sumiko was surprised at that fact, but she didn't say it. She could tell there was more the girl wasn't saying, but she decided she had pushed enough. She gave her a nod. "I won't worry about what I can't change for now. You said we needed to find hakama, right?" At that point, all three of the women gave her warm smiles. She returned them as best as she was able.

* * *

It was close to an hour before the four women made their way to a clearing outside of the village. Both Kagome and Sumiko had donned the red and white outfits that matched Kaede's, and Sango was dressed in a form-fitting black outfit. Sumiko's eyes had widened when she first saw it. She hadn't expected anyone from that time to wear something like it. When Sango caught the look, she smiled and explained that she was a youkai hunter and the outfit was what she used while fighting. Sumiko felt a little better when she realized that none of the women around her would ever be considered powerless. She only hoped she lived up to whatever expectations they had for her.

As they made their way out of the village, Sumiko noticed several of the villagers that had been giving her suspicious looks the day before, were now openly eyeing her with surprise. Some of them even stopped the small group to welcome Kagome back and two of them wished Sumiko a good day. She could tell they were still uncertain, but she smiled at them anyway. If she was going to be there for an extended amount of time, then she would need to do all she could to make them at least comfortable with her.

When they made it to the clearing, Kagome let out an exclamation at what was there. On the far side was a line of what was obviously target dummies. The only part that was strange was the fact that they were all different shapes. Sumiko realized with a start that they were meant to represent youkai, not humans. Her attention was drawn at that point by Sango who was smiling at Kagome. "I have been thinking about eventually trying to rebuild my village. For now, we have started training a few of the villagers that are interested. This is the best we have for now, but eventually, that will change."

Kagome was still looking around in awe. Kaede chuckled at the sight. "Child, why don't ye practice with Sango-san. I will work with Sumiko-san."

Kagome was smiling when she turned and gave the older woman a nod. Sumiko watched as the two girls walked to the far side, but her attention was drawn by Kaede before she could see what they were doing. Kaede gave her a smile. "We can assess thine skills with a weapon later. This morning, we will see if thee can see thy power."

Sumiko wasn't sure what to think about the whole premise that she had some power she had never seen before, but she gave the woman a nod and sat beside her when she sat down. Once they were seated Kaede instructed her to close her eyes and focus on her breathing. It took some time before she accomplished what the woman had asked for. Between her own whirling thoughts that still hadn't settled, and the sound of the other two across the way, she had to try extra hard to only pay attention to her breathing.

Finally, she had blocked out everything else and her breath fell into a steady rhythm. She wasn't sure how long she spent like that, but she nearly jumped when Kaede spoke again. "Now, focus on the feeling of thine power resonating within you."

Sumiko frowned slightly at both her loss of concentration and the instructions. She first had to convince herself she had power. She tried to picture what it might look like for several minutes before she opened her eyes with a frustrated sigh. She tried not to let her aggravation show when she spoke. "I understand that things here are not what I am used to, but I have never known anyone that has powers before yesterday. It isn't easy for me to accept that I do, but more than that, I can't even begin to know what they would look like, so I haven't the slightest clue what to look for."

Kaede didn't seem put out by her outburst thankfully. The woman gave her another smile before she spoke. "Tis one of the reasons we start training early. Thy mind is more open. Worry not. I sense great power within ye. It is only a matter of time."

Sumiko didn't look convinced, but when the woman told her to close her eyes again, she obeyed. She sat and listened to her speak while she tried to picture what was said. "Thine power is part of thy ki. It is part of thee. Thou must learn to tell the difference between that and thine reiki. They are one and the same until you learn to separate them. Normally it works to power the bellows of thine breath and guides the blood that flows through thine veins. Thou hast the power to manifest it in other ways as well. Look for that within thyself that powers all."

She repressed a sigh since she was still clueless. She didn't give up though. Sango's warning was still ringing through her head. She pushed that thought back since it was making concentrating harder and instead focused on her breathing again. It didn't take her near as long that time to fall into a pattern. She let it go on for a short time longer to help her relax and focus. Once she was as calm as she could get, she tried to picture the electricity that powered her heartbeat and everything else. That was the closest she could get to what had been described.

She had no idea how long she had been at it, and she had to stop several times and refocus because she was getting aggravated. She was about ready to give up again when she thought she felt something new. It flitted away like a feather in the wind, but she tried her best to follow it. She turned her focus and imagined that she was following whatever it had been down the pathways inside her body. Normally her mind would have cringed at that image, but she was so focused on finding whatever that flicker had been that she didn't spare a thought for how odd the whole thing was.

She was surprised when she realized that even though her eyes were closed things were getting brighter. She barely spared half a thought for it though. Instead, she continued to follow the path deeper. She was suddenly surprised when she was surrounded by a bright pink light. She was so shocked that all thought froze for several moments. When she had at least enough presence of mind to know what she was seeing was weird beyond anything she expected, the light around her shattered and she suddenly felt herself gasping. It took her several moments before she realized someone was patting her back and she opened her eyes blearily. She had to blink a few times before everyone came back into focus. She looked around and saw all three women around her with worried looks. She also noted a few of the women from the village nearby that were staring at her with awed expressions.

She had to try twice before she could get her voice to work as she sat up. "I'm alright now. What happened?"

Kagome helped her to her feet and held on to her arm to keep her steady when she spoke. "You created a barrier, but it was only there for a few seconds before it shattered."

Sumiko gave her a confused look. "Are you sure? I didn't do anything."

Sango laughed slightly as she moved to Sumiko's other side and helped Kagome lead her back toward the village while Kaede followed them with a contemplative look. Sango's voice held a note of relief when she spoke. "We didn't expect anything from you today. It usually takes months at least for a person to be able to find their ki. When you stopped breathing, we thought something happened, but that barrier popped up, and we couldn't get to you. Thankfully it didn't last long."

Sumiko thought about everything they said as she compared it to what had happened. Finally, she looked to Kagome. "Was that the pink light I saw? I has stopped trying to picture it, but I felt something. It's hard to explain, but I guess I let my logic go while I traced it. I thought I was surrounded by pink light, but it shattered and the next thing I knew, Kaede-sama was patting my back."

Her brow furrowed when the two girls exchanged a look before Kagome answered her. "That sounds right. I never really went through that, as my power was forced to manifest. It did take me a long time to learn to control it though. I found it was easier if I had something material to focus it into, like an arrow." She paused and looked back to Kaede before she continued. "When you found the light, it was pink?"

Sumiko frowned at the look they were giving her, but she saw no reason not to answer. "Yes, is that bad?"

Kagome laughed awkwardly and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "No, no, it's just different. When most miko manifest their power, it looks blue to those that can see it. I thought I was the only one that had pink reiki. I always thought it was due to the Shikon no Tama being in my body for so long, but I guess everyone is different."

The girl laughed again and the whole exchange worried Sumiko slightly, but her attention was drawn by Sango. "Don't let it worry you. What you should be focused on, is the fact that you did very well."

Sumiko felt their praise was unwarranted, since she didn't feel like she had done anything. "I will take your word for it. I am not sure that I would be able to reproduce it."

By that time, they had made it back to the hut and Kaede gave her a smile as she walked in. "Have faith child. Ye accomplished more than I expected." Sumiko tried not to let the whole thing freak her out too much as she followed the rest of the group in and helped prepare lunch.

Once they finished eating, Sango turned to Sumiko with a grin. "This afternoon we can see how coordinated you are. Since you come from Kagome's time you probably don't have any combat skills, but it would be best if we can teach you some basic things."

Sumiko gave her a nod. That sounded more like something she could wrap her head around. It wasn't that she had any experience with hand-to-hand, but at least it was tangible, and she wouldn't have to go through another existential crisis. Kaede stayed behind to work on medicines that were needed by some of the villagers while the three girls headed back to the training ground. They had made it about halfway back when Sumiko remembered something Kagome had said. "Kagome-san, you said earlier that sometimes it helped if you focused into an arrow? Does that mean you use archery?"

The younger girl smiled a little self-depreciatingly. "I suppose you could call it that. I am decent enough now, but I had the crash course."

Sango spoke up at that. "Don't let her fool you. She had to learn while we were fighting, and she learned quickly."

Kagome blushed slightly at the praise and Sumiko smiled at the sight before she spoke again. "From the sounds of that I am sure you can teach me how to focus. Well, when I get to that point anyway."

Kagome blushed again, but she tried not to let it show when she spoke again. "It probably isn't as far as you think since you were able to find your ki already. I am sure that Sango and I can help you learn archery quickly as well."

It was Sumiko's turn to blush, but she gave the girl a nod. "Since I have never shot in combat, I am sure there is a lot I can learn from you both."

Sango raised a brow at her comment. "You've never shot in combat, but you have used a bow?"

Sumiko looked a little uncomfortable, but she answered. "I'm no expert, but archery was what I chose as my physical activity when I was still in school. I participated in a few competitions, but I never made first place. Plus, they were always stationary targets. It was more for show than to be used in real life."

Kagome grinned at that. "Well, that's more experience than I had. At least you'll know about all the stuff like pressure and aiming in the wind. That takes a lot of time to learn. I'm still studying."

Sumiko gave her a smile at her enthusiasm but didn't say anything else. When they got to the clearing, Sango went to one of the targets and brought back a longbow and a quiver of arrows. She handed them to Sumiko with a smile. "Let's see what you can do here, and we can devise a strategy for teaching you after that."

Sumiko eyed the large bow with a little trepidation when she took it. Kagome caught the look and laughed slightly. "It isn't as hard as you might think. These are big, but they aren't too hard to use once you get used to them. I found out the hard way when I tried to practice at home that these are different than modern bows." She took the bow from Sumiko and grasped it about two-thirds of the way down. Sumiko's brow drew down at the sight, but when Kagome quickly seated an arrow and let it fly, hitting one of the targets near the middle, she gasped.

Kagome held the bow back out to her with a smile. "See? Trust me, once you get used to the way you have to hold it, it's almost easier."

Sumiko eyed it with a little trepidation again, but she still moved into position and grabbed it like she had seen Kagome do. It took her several moments to figure out how best to seat the arrow to make the shot work and then finally released her first shot. When it hit the same target, within about five inches from Kagome's, both girls gave her smiles. It was Sango that spoke. "Well, that will make things easier. We can give you a little time to get used to the new bow, at least until you are comfortable shooting without having to situate yourself. Once you get that down, we can start with moving targets."

Kagome was grinning as well. Sumiko gave them both a shake of her head. "Well, at least this is something that doesn't feel completely foreign to me. Let's practice."

They both smiled at her blooming enthusiasm. Kagome went and grabbed a second bow and they stood side by side and continued to practice. Sango stood with them and gave them both pointers whenever she felt there was something they could improve on. By the time dusk fell, Sumiko found that she was exhausted, but she felt more optimistic than she had that morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I know this chapter is short, but this was the best stopping point. I also wanted to go ahead and get it out. I apologize for it being so long. Also, for any of you that might speak Japanese, I have only been learning for a short time, so certain things (like what's in this chapter) I still have to look up. If any of you feel like I am wrong, or see something, please let me know. I would be happy to make it right. Otherwise, please enjoy!

 **Chapter 5**

As they made their way back to the village, Sumiko realized she was probably going to be sore the next day. She could already feel the strain on muscles she wasn't used to using for long periods of time. It was as she was trying to rotate her shoulder to test how stiff it would become that Kagome stopped suddenly. She gave both the other girls a grin before she spoke. "Sumiko-san, there is a hot spring a short distance away from the village. It's far enough that we can't always go every day, but after the workout we had today, I'm sure it would feel great! Would you like to go?"

Sumiko gave the girl an incredulous look, but she couldn't stop her grin. "That sounds amazing! How long will it take us to get there?"

Sango laughed at their enthusiasm. "It is a short walk, maybe half an hour, but we need to get Inuyasha first."

Sumiko nearly stumbled and gave Sango a shocked look. "Inuyasha will have to go too?"

Sango gave her a confused look, but Kagome must have realized why the girl was so shocked and spoke up first. "Don't worry. He will be there only to make sure we aren't attacked. He won't bathe with us." She then rolled her eyes and muttered the rest under her breath. "Besides, he's a typical dog. He hates baths."

Sumiko knew it was probably rude, but she couldn't entirely smother her giggle at the mental image of Kagome trying to give Inuyasha a bath and him fighting it. When Kagome heard it, she just grinned and grabbed her hand. "Let's go. If we wait much longer Inuyasha may not agree to take us."

Sumiko didn't need much prodding and they quickly made it to Kaede's hut. The other two left her there to gather what she needed and went to do the same. It was only a matter of minutes before they returned with a grumbling Inuyasha in tow. Sumiko had to fight not to laugh when she heard him mumbling about crazy women and their insane need to stay clean. Even though he grumbled nearly the whole way, he still insisted in checking everything before he allowed them to have privacy.

The three girls helped each other wash their hair and rinse out the soap at the nearby stream before they made their way into the spring. Once they were all seated into the steaming water, Sumiko let out a sigh. She had not had time or opportunity to visit an onsen, so this was a treat she had not expected. She grimaced slightly at the thought that it would never have happened if she hadn't ended up in the past. At least not on her current trip.

When she realized she was once again thinking about the problems that she couldn't solve she shook her head and focused on the other two. They both looked completely relaxed and it made Sumiko smile. She realized something could be said for relaxing after working hard. It was a satisfying feeling. Her gaze must have garnered Kagome's attention as the girl look over at her with a smile. "So, what do you think so far? When I first got here, I was always ready to go back home, but now, I don't know if I could go back to living in the future."

Sumiko realized the girl was only trying to make polite conversation, so she didn't let her worry show. She gave her a small smile in return before she answered. "It is definitely different, but I feel accomplished. Hopefully I can keep it up."

Neither of the girls commented on the fact that she had not really said anything about her perceptions of the time period. Instead, Kagome gave her a curious look. "I don't want to bring up something that is painful, but do you have any idea what you will tell Sesshomaru?" Her eyes widened when she realized how her question might be interpreted and she quickly waved her hands in front of her. "If you end up having to that is."

Sumiko tried to not let it bother her. This was the problem that she needed to focus on after all. She gave Kagome a strained smile. "It's ok. That is something that I need to think about." She paused and seemed to focus inward for a few moments. Finally, she shrugged and grimaced. "I haven't thought of it much really. I'm still taking it one day at a time. All I really know yet is that I can't tell him things that could change history. I mean, I can explain some of the advancements, but not history. Does that make sense."

Kagome's lips pursed as she thought over what was said. After a few moments, she sighed and shrugged as well. "I know how persistent he can be. You may have to explain to him why you can't tell him certain things and even then, he may not like it. He isn't stupid though, so maybe."

Sumiko's eyes widened a little as she thought about what the girl just said. She had already experienced his insistence first hand. That was something she hadn't considered yet and the thought of it terrified her. Sango had been listening to them with interest, but when she saw Sumiko's fear, she tried to reassure her. "Don't worry about it too much right now. You still have time. I would suggest you take some time each night to go over it, but don't let it distract you. Your main concern right now should be training while we look into ways to get you home."

Sumiko gave her a nod and tried to let the hot water relax her once again. Her mind wouldn't shut up though and Sango's words made her think of something else. She turned to Kagome with a frown. "Since you have been here before, and you said it was only because you had a jewel in your body, why do you think the well allowed me to come through at all?"

Kagome shared a look with Sango before she answered. Sumiko could tell that the girl was nervous. "Honestly, we aren't sure. If we could figure that out, we would have a better chance to get you back. That is the first thing we will be working on."

Sumiko could tell there was something they were holding back, but she also knew they had been nothing but helpful. If they were hiding something, she felt it was probably for her benefit somehow. She didn't like not knowing, but she wasn't going to spurn their care so far and push them on it. She gave a nod before she tried to relax again.

They spent a short while longer, but when Sumiko let out a large yawn, Kagome laughed and reminded them it was late. As much as Sumiko didn't want to climb out of the wonderful water, she knew she would end up falling asleep where she was if they didn't. It didn't take them long to get out and dressed. Their hair was still wet from the earlier washing, but at least it wasn't dripping.

Sumiko could barely keep a coherent thought in her head as they followed Inuyasha back. She barely even registered that he was still grumbling. When they made it back, Kaede refused to let her help with the last of the chores. She insisted that Sumiko head to bed. As bad as Sumiko felt about not helping, she didn't argue. She had barely laid down before sleep took her.

* * *

The next days quickly fell into a pattern. Sumiko spent her mornings trying to find her ki again. She had not been successful again though. Her afternoons were spent learning how to shoot at moving targets alternated with learning some hand to hand combat. That last made their visits to the hot spring every other day a necessity. She was so sore on those days, that she felt like facing Sesshomaru again might be a better alternative.

When she said that out loud one day, Sango grinned at her. "Keep that in mind the next time he visits. You don't want to make him angry, but it wouldn't hurt to not show him fear either."

Sumiko had only been joking when she said it, but she stopped and thought about what Sango had said. She wasn't sure if she could possibly face the intimidating male and not be afraid, but it made sense sort of. She knew she had always been told that animals sensed fear and it sometimes made them more aggressive. While she was sure he would not appreciate being compared to a common dog, he had said he could smell her fear. When it stopped, he had seemed to be less angry. At the time she thought it was only because she had also quit hesitating, but maybe it was more. She gave Sango a smile for the suggestion. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try to keep that in mind." Sango gave her a smile as they walked to where Kagome was practicing her archery with a swinging target that had been set up.

It had been nearly two weeks by that point and Kagome didn't always train with them. Most days, she spent her afternoons with Kaede learning the practical side of being a miko. In the mornings, she would alternate between training with Sango and helping the villagers. She had planned on investigating how Sumiko arrived, but there were only so many people she could ask and there were no means nearby to look into the issue further. When they realized nothing could be done locally, the decision to travel to one of the larger temples was made. Inuyasha didn't care for the idea, because he knew he would not be able to go inside with the women, but he did agree to go with them when they convinced him it was their only chance. It was decided that they would go after Sesshomaru's next visit. Since he had Rin with him, they didn't think it would be much longer.

That was what they were discussing again as they made their way to the hot spring after Kagome put her equipment away. Talking about her next meeting with the arrogant male had Sumiko thinking about what she might say. If he even bothered to talk to her. Both Sango and Kagome told her it was unlikely that he would ask anything other than how she was progressing. He had given her time for the rest. It wasn't guaranteed though, so she occasionally bounced ideas around with Kagome, who was just as familiar about the future.

They finally settled in to relax and Sumiko was trying to push the uncomfortable conversation out of her mind when something horrifying struck her. When she sat up so fast the water splashed, both women gave her a concerned look. She didn't wait for them to question her before she started babbling to Kagome. "Oh, dear lord, this whole thing was started because he saw my iPod and now it's dead. All my electronics are dead! How am I supposed to show him?"

Kagome's eyes widened as well, but she still tried to calm her. "You did tell me you explained that they would die eventually. He'll have to understand."

Sumiko was not reassured, especially when she caught sight of Sango's worried look. "What is it? What do you think he'll do?"

Sango slowly shook her head. "I don't really understand what you are talking about, but if you said you would explain it then he is likely to be disappointed that you can't. He may just get disgusted and walk away, but I don't know." She looked to the side as if she were thinking for a moment before she turned back. "Is there any other way you can show him besides what you brought with you?"

Sumiko started to shake her head but stopped when an idea struck her. She chewed on the corner of her lip for a few moments while she deliberated. Finally, she sighed in frustration and shook her head. "I could make a small generator that could prove what I was telling him, but I doubt we could get the materials. The copper wire would be the hardest, especially since I doubt there is technology here to coat it properly."

Sango's eyes widened, but she still looked confused. "You know how to make lightning?"

Sumiko sighed again. "No, it wouldn't produce lightning like you are used to seeing. Since there is really nothing to hook it up to, it would most likely only make heat, but yes, if I had the few things I needed, I could recreate it in the most basic fashion."

At that point, even Kagome gave her a shocked look. "How do you know that? Most people wouldn't know how to make it."

Sumiko looked away uncomfortably before she finally responded. "It isn't hard to make. I work in electronics, or worked, so I learned the basics in school. I had to create a generator in one of my classes as a project, so it wouldn't be a big deal to recreate it. The problem is getting the correct copper wire and a magnet."

Sango gave her a confused look at that. "What is a magnet?"

Sumiko looked confused for a moment before her brows drew down in a frown. She turned to Kagome. "How do you say _lodestone_? I've never heard that translation."

Kagome's eyes widened as she started to realize what the girl was thinking. She looked excited as she spoke. "It's called ganseki." She then turned to Sango. "I'm sure you've at least heard of it."

Sango was giving them both a confused look. "I've heard of them before. They are magical stones that attract metal objects."

Sumiko grimaced. "It isn't magic, but if you know of them then there's that at least." She paused with a frustrated sigh. "That doesn't mean we could get one though, right?"

Sango's look turned contemplative. "I don't know if we could get what you need, but if you explain it to Sesshomaru, he might be able to. He does have the means available to get most anything he wanted."

Sumiko frowned at the thought. She didn't like to even think about talking to him, much less asking him for anything. She realized she really didn't have a choice though. "You're right. If he bothers talking to any of us when he comes next, I can ask him then. The worst that can happen is he'll say no." The thought made her shiver as she realized that outcome could be worse than a normal person's no, but she tried not to dwell on it.

Kagome tried to give her a reassuring look. "Don't worry about it too much. I'm sure if you explain to him what you need it for, he would be happy to gather the stuff if he can." Her face brightened and she smiled as a thought occurred to her. "This might actually be better even! With your iPod, it was already put together and if you tore it apart to show him the workings, it wouldn't prove much. If you can build something though, that would make him understand."

That was the first part of their conversation that helped to ease Sumiko's nerves. She realized at that point, if she presented it to him correctly, his curiosity could work for her instead of against her. It was that thought that gave her the strength to smile. "You're right. I just have to ask in a way that will make him want to help. Thank you."

Kagome waved off the thanks. "No need to thank me. I feel responsible. I doubt you would have gotten dragged into this if you hadn't run into me."

Sumiko frowned slightly. "It was my own fault for going where I shouldn't have, so please don't feel like you did anything wrong. Besides, you have all been so helpful in trying to get me used to living here. I don't know what would have happened to me without you."

Kagome blushed slightly at the praise, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she stood. "It's late and I'm sure Inuyasha is getting restless. Why don't we head back?"

Sumiko smiled and nodded. "You're right. This schedule makes sure I have no problems sleeping at least."

Both of the others laughed as they climbed out of the water. Their walk back to the village was a quiet one though. They all had a lot on their minds. Sumiko was still worried about how to ask Sesshomaru what she needed to, but if she had known what the other two were thinking, she might have had much more to worry about. Although nothing was certain, the fact that Sumiko had been allowed through the well had both the girls chasing ideas that only got progressively more problematic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was three days later that Sesshomaru finally returned. It was heralded by a release of his youki that had Inuyasha grumbling louder than usual. He didn't run off, though. He let them know his 'bastard' of a brother would be in the clearing in a half hour. He never came into the village, so they all dropped what they were doing and headed toward the well.

When they arrived, Sesshomaru was already there leaning against a tree and watching Rin chase a small green imp around the clearing. "Wait, Jaken-sama! I made this one just for you! Sesshomaru-sama said you should wear it, as it matches your staff."

Sumiko tried not to laugh as the girl managed to catch what she realized was a kappa and threw a flower ring around his neck. He grumbled but did not remove it. "Stupid girl! I don't need flowers. I am the dignified servant to the esteemed Sesshomaru-sama. Mind yourself before you disgrace him."

"Jaken." The one word was spoken lowly, but that was all it took to have the kappa groveling in the dirt.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

The inu youkai ignored him as he strode across the clearing. He stopped near Sumiko and eyed her new clothes. Whatever he thought of them was kept to himself as he turned to Sango. "Taijiya, this one has come for a report."

Sango bowed and gestured to Sumiko. "I am pleased to tell you that she has already found her reiki once, though she has yet to learn control. She is also already well-versed in archery. Her melee skills are lacking, but she is eager to learn."

The only indication of his surprise was a slight widening of his eyes. His voice did not even show any change. "Show this one."

Sumiko had blushed at Sango's words and wished she hadn't been quite so glowing. Part of her knew that it was best not to make the male angry either, so it was a fine line to walk. None of them said anything as they led him through the woods to the clearing they had been using for practice.

Sumiko took the bow from Sango and was grateful for her smile as she turned to the moving targets. The taijiya gave a few of them a hard shove to set them going before Sumiko emptied her quiver. She didn't even bother looking back until she retrieved her arrows. When she did, she almost wished she hadn't.

Her friends were standing nearby with barely contained frowns while Sesshomaru was leaning against a tree almost indolently. Rin was sitting at his feet and watching with a smile. It was only the sight of the girl that kept her from losing hope. Surely the demon was not as evil as he made himself seem if the girl was able to be that comfortable around him.

She barely had time to stow her quiver and bow before Sango approached her. "I am sure Sesshomaru-sama will want to see the rest as well, so let's show him how far you've come."

Sumiko frowned, since how far was pretty much nonexistent, but she nodded anyway. She spent the next several minutes ducking, dodging, blocking, and all-around trying not to get her head knocked off. Still, she ended up on her behind. Sango gave her a hand up and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, I promise it doesn't seem like it, but you're getting better. It won't be long before you can at least keep up."

Sumiko shook her head but managed to smile. "I appreciate it, even if I'm not sure I believe you."

They were interrupted when Sesshomaru joined them. He looked down at Sumiko with a sneer. "Acceptable for a human. This one will return to check again. Improve or expect to face the consequences."

Sumiko bristled at his arrogant dismissal and visible disdain for her humanity. She had no idea that, for him, it was a compliment. At least she was able to hold her tongue as she knew there was still something she needed to speak with him about.

She really wished Inuyasha had done the same. "Hey, bastard! She ain't your property! It's not like we don't have plans too, you know! She's not gonna stick around practicing the whole time just to please your sorry ass."

Several things happened in quick succession. Kagome glared at Inuyasha and yelled out, 'sit,' but not before the damage was done. Sesshomaru had struck so fast that Sumiko had not even seen him move. His hand was around her throat, and he was glaring at her. She was clawing at his fingers out of instinct, and it only seemed to piss him off more, especially when they heard Inuyasha again.

"Damn, woman! What'd you do that for? It's not like he can follow you into the temple anyway."

Sesshomaru sneered again, and the pressure on Sumiko's neck increased slightly. "Did you believe your puny human temples could shield you from this one's wrath? Humans continue to prove their worthlessness."

Much to his surprise, the woman's terror suddenly became mixed with rage. The tiny fingers she had been using to claw against his fingers ineffectually suddenly stopped and wrapped around his wrist. Her eyes flashed as she met his.

He relaxed his hold enough so that she could breathe, but he did not release her. The response intrigued him, but he refused to allow her insolence. He pushed a wave of youki toward her that should have been enough to make her pass out, with her miko senses untrained. They were both shocked when pink sparks flashed around her fingers.

Sesshomaru felt the flesh of his wrist burn under her fingers but did not let go. His fingers tightened again, and he saw her gasp for breath. His eyes never left hers as he watched with fascination as the anger never left them.

He was only pulled from his contemplation when Inuyasha came barrelling toward them. He sidestepped his brother easily and pulled Sumiko's back against his chest. He still had one hand around her throat as he looked at his brother. He ignored her gasping breaths and the fact that the pink sparks were spitting out everywhere they touched. It was evident she had no control over them, and he had dealt with far worse.

He was not given a chance to speak. Kagome had run over and was glaring at him. "Did you even think to ask her what her plans were? It's not like she was going to go back on her word. This has nothing to do with you. It's about the well."

Sesshomaru paused before he flung the girl away from him. He caught her wrist before she could get too far. His face was back in the blank mask he usually wore. "Explain."

Sumiko could not keep the glare from her own features as well. Despite how much she feared the demon that had a painful grip on her, she had had enough time to think about things and acclimate to the change in location that his high-handed treatment of her was allowing her anger to push her fear back just enough for her to bite back. "I would never go back on a vow. Ever. Yes, we did plan to travel to a larger temple soon, but that does not mean we would stop my training, nor were we planning on avoiding you. Both Sango and Kagome had hoped to find out why the well had allowed me through when it previously only allowed Kagome and Inuyasha. It would be best to make sure it is not a danger to the village."

Sesshomaru paused, and his eyes narrowed. It was several seconds before he spoke again. "There is more. You would think to lie to this Sesshomaru?"

Sumiko nearly jumped as his grip tightened. She forced her heartbeat to calm and shook her head. She knew the others might not appreciate what she was about to do, but he had a point. She knew she couldn't lie to him. "No. I am not lying. The part I did not say, was only because I do not want you to think I would leave before our deal is complete. They hope to figure out how to help me return. I do not belong here. That does not mean I would leave until our agreement has been fulfilled. I made a vow, and I will fulfill it."

Inuyasha's grumbling was the only thing heard after she spoke. Sesshomaru lifted one brow. "You are telling the truth."

Sumiko had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from saying something that would get her killed. Plus, she had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. Once she was under control, she nodded. "Yes. I will also promise you now that I will never lie to you. I have no desire to be killed."

One corner of the Inu Lord's mouth quirked up at her remark, but it vanished almost before she saw it. He finally released her wrist. "This Sesshomaru will take you to the temple. You are still untrained and will be a target. Until your obligations are fulfilled, this one will not allow you to die."

Minor chaos ensued at his declaration. Kagome ended up having to sit Inuyasha once more before she and Sango had a chance to talk to Sesshomaru civilly. He watched it all as though none of it had anything to do with him. He merely gave them a bored look when Sango finally stepped up and bowed.

"Sesshomaru-sama, please forgive our shock, but none of us expected you to volunteer to accompany us."

He raised a single brow. "The mutt will not be going. This Sesshomaru will tolerate your presence as well as the other miko, as you may be necessary, but the mutt stays here."

Inuyasha growled as he pushed himself up. Tessaiga was out with a flash and aiming for Sesshomaru's head as the hanyou raced forward. The demon tsked as he side-stepped. "Have you still not learned. Your temper will only hurt those closest to you."

Inuyasha growled again and raised his sword for the Wind Scar, but he caught sight of Kagome trying to pull Sumiko out of the way and lowered it with a curse. Instead, he shocked them all by planting Tessaiga and lunging for his brother. Sesshomaru side-stepped again as Kagome called out. "Inuyasha, that's enough!"

When it looked like he was going to ignore her pleas, she gritted her teeth and sat him once more. He glared at her over his shoulder, but they were getting nowhere fast. She ran over to Sango, and the two girls shared a hurried conversation before Sango once more turned to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru-sama, we are honored by your proposal. If you would be willing, I could accompany you both, and Kagome-san could stay here with Rin-chan. Is that acceptable?"

The Daiyoukai acknowledged her offer with a slight tilt of his head. "We will leave at first light."

Inuyasha was up before Sesshomaru was even out of the clearing, but Kagome grabbed his arm to keep him from going after his brother. He glared down at her but settled for yelling. "Keh, woman, what were you thinking! You can't let her go anywhere with him. I thought you were trying to get her home?"

Kagome sent a troubled look Sumiko's way at the last part, but she shook her head. "You heard him. He swore to keep her alive. Despite how you feel about him, you know as well as the rest of us that he would never let anything happen to her now. She'll make it there and back safely."

Inuyasha huffed again but didn't say any more before he stomped off. Kagome frowned at him, but she turned to Sumiko. The girl still hadn't moved from her spot. Now that the whole ordeal was over and her adrenaline was leaving her system, her fear was starting to parade gruesome scenarios through her head.

Both Kagome and Sango were immediately by her side. Kagome's voice was soft. "Are you alright?"

Sumiko took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. A little bruised, but not bad. Just scared."

Sango patted her shoulder. "I know he overreacted, but now that he has vowed to keep you safe for the trip, you can rest assured that nothing like that will happen again."

Sumiko shook her head. "I know. I knew he was like that already. It was just frightening that it all happened so fast. I guess I really do need to figure out how to defend myself. Maybe if I at least knew how to get out of a chokehold, I could have explained before it escalated."

Sango frowned. The girl should not have to think like that, but she wasn't wrong. Demons had a different mindset, and she was glad that Sumiko seemed smart enough to have already caught onto that much at least. She had noticed that the girl wasn't completely ignorant, even if some of her knowledge seemed to be a bit off. At least it was a start.

With a sigh, she brushed off her worry and shared a look with Kagome. "Don't let it worry you. I will make sure to give you pointers while we walk. It will also make sense for you to take some extra time each day to focus on your reiki. With the way it responded to Sesshomaru today, it could be unpredictable while we travel if you can't learn to get it under control. I don't think I've ever seen any other miko hurt him like that before. Kagome came close, but… well, I know you're working on it."

Sumiko's eyes widened, and she blinked a few times. "I hurt him?" Her heart started hammering. She wondered why he didn't take out his rage on her for doing so.

Kagome nodded with a frown. "Yes, but don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure he understood you weren't doing it on purpose. I also doubt he would admit to being hurt. Besides, he'll probably be healed by morning."

Sumiko was trembling even harder now, but her logic was starting to prevail. She knew they were correct. Despite how harrowing that had been, this might work out in her favor. At least she hoped she would have a chance to speak with him about the things she would need and explain it in a way that made sense. She would have several days to get around to it, as the next largest temple that might have information was at least a five-day walk, according to Sango. And that was if they didn't go slow for training purposes.

The women all turned back to the village to prepare what they would need for the following day and to let Kaede know the trip was moved up a few days. They also quietly went over plans for what Sumiko needed to focus on most and how best to accomplish it while in the presence of the arrogant Daiyoukai.

 **A/N:** See, I haven't forgotten about it lol. I know it's short, but the trip will be the next one. My FF7 fics have been taking up most of my brain space, so I apologize for that, but I am trying whenever I have the motivation. I hope you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

That night Kagome, Sango, and Sumiko all sat up trying to go over the best way to approach Sesshomaru about her training while they traveled as well as things like rest and food since he would have fewer needs than they would. After all was said and done, it was decided that Sango should do the talking. The daiyoukai didn't seem to care for any humans besides Rin, but he at least treated Sango with more respect than the others. That might have something to do with the fact that she grew up learning how to deal with demons, but in the end, it didn't matter. Once that was decided, the three of them turned in, knowing the following day would be hard for at least two of them.

The next morning found their entire group, including a pouting Rin, standing in the clearing around the well once more. Inuyasha had taken up a spot in a nearby tree as the women walked to join Sesshomaru. He was still grumbling as Sango laid out their requests. It pissed him off that none of them listened to his objections. Not even after his damned brother nearly took the girl's head off. He huffed again as he watched his brother sneer at the two women before he made some noncommittal noise and turned away. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as they walked off. Maybe he could get away and follow them later without Kagome knowing. It wasn't like they would be able to travel very fast.

* * *

Sumiko had brought her backpack, but it was filled with different things this time around. Mostly. Sango also had a small pack, and Kirara was traveling with them. That was the one thing that had made their request not so hard for the daiyoukai to accept. They asked since it was only the two women, if they traveled on Kirara, then they could keep up with him in one of his faster modes, and they could make better time. That would allow them to stop early each day to continue Sumiko's training, and they could possibly still make it ahead of schedule.

He hadn't exactly said yes, but once they were a short distance from the village, he formed his cloud of youki and only looked back once. Sango repressed a sigh as she called out to her friend. The neko youkai quickly changed forms, and the women were not far behind the inu Lord.

Traveling that way made things easier, but it also made it harder for Sumiko to talk to Sesshomaru about the materials she would need for her generator. Perhaps she would get a chance when they stopped for the night. When Sumiko asked about it, Sango said she wasn't sure he would stay in camp with them. That didn't help settle her nerves any, but she figured they had at least a week and a half. She would figure it out somehow.

They had packed travel rations that they shared while they flew, so they did not have to stop until late afternoon. Both women were glad that Sesshomaru was the one to land first. At least it meant he agreed to camp early. They hadn't been 100 percent sure until they saw him heading toward the ground.

As soon as they were on the ground, Sesshomaru turned to the kappa that Sumiko hadn't realized was hanging onto the fluff across the Inu Lord's shoulder. "Jaken, this one will hunt. Make sure nothing comes near." He didn't even look at the two women before he turned to the woods.

Sumiko turned to Sango. "Hunt? I thought you said-"

Sango sighed and shook her head. "I wasn't sure. He said you would come back alive, and he has been traveling with Rin for years. Perhaps he understands human limitations more than I expected."

Jaken turned to them both with a sneer. "The great Sesshomaru-sama knows more than you can comprehend. He is an honorable youkai. I cannot understand why, but he has granted you protection. You should bow before him and grovel like the beasts you are."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. Let's get camp set up, and then we can practice your hand-to-hand for a little. You can focus on your reiki later."

Sumiko gave her a nod and helped her gather what they needed. It wasn't like there was much to it. They required a small amount of wood for a fire and rocks for the pit. They would not be using anything but bedrolls, so that was the bulk of setup. Once that was done, they walked a short distance away to an area big enough that they could move without worrying about undergrowth.

Sumiko was too caught up in Sango's instruction to notice when Sesshomaru made it back. Sango did but didn't stop the girl's movements when she saw the daiyoukai instruct his retainer to take care of cleaning the rabbits. She bit her tongue to keep from laughing as the kappa grumbled the whole time he worked on them.

It was more than an hour later that Sango called it good, and the two women returned to where the fire was. Jaken had already cleaned the rabbits and had them cooking. Sesshomaru barely spared them a look before he waved at the fire. "This Sesshomaru hunted too many. You are welcome to finish the rest."

Sumiko turned to Sango with wide eyes, and the woman merely shrugged. Even though it shocked her that the male was capable of being nice even though he couldn't admit it, she knew this was no small thing. Sumiko bowed to him and kept her voice respectful. "Thank you very much, Sesshomaru-sama. I am aware you are a great hunter, but this kindness is not unappreciated."

Sango gave the girl an appreciative look as she bowed as well. She caught on quick. Despite his volatile temper, it was always a good thing to be extra respectful and to stroke his ego. "Please accept my thanks as well."

"Hn." That was the only response they got, but Sango had heard it enough to know that was all they were likely to get. She grabbed Sumiko, and the two sat to check the rabbits.

When they verified they were done, Sumiko held one of the sticks out. "Jaken-san, have you eaten yet?"

The kappa stared at her open-mouthed for several seconds before he stuttered his response. "Do not speak to me so casually! And I do not need your concern. Your filthy human food is disgusting!"

"Jaken." Once again, that single word was enough to have the imp groveling at Sesshomaru's feet. This time that was all that was said and Sumiko decided that the kappa could starve as far as she was concerned. At least she tried.

Once they finished eating, Sumiko turned to focus on her reiki, but the dried sweat from their earlier training was beginning to annoy her. She knew she would need to focus past those types of things eventually, but for the moment, it would make it even harder for her to find it, and that was added on top of her discomfort with the continued presence of the daiyoukai across the clearing. Even if he wasn't looking at them.

She turned to Sango and tried to keep her voice low. "Sango-chan, there was a small creek not far from here, I believe. Do you think we could go and at least wash the worst of the sweat off before I settle into my meditation?"

Sango gave her a grin. "I'm glad you brought it up. Ever since I traveled with Kagome, I got used to cleaning every day. It shouldn't take us long."

The two women stood to gather the things they needed but were stopped by the voice of their other companion. "Miko, this one has sworn to keep you safe while you travel to the temple and back. Would you spurn that protection?"

She turned back with widened eyes. She felt a bit like deer caught in headlights, but only for a moment. She quickly bowed to keep him from seeing her frown and fought to keep her voice even. "Of course, I would do no such thing. However, I am sure that our actions would only benefit you as well. Given your sensitive nose, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to be so near to us after our recent activities."

Sango had to clamp her lips together. Despite the appropriateness of her words, they still dripped with sarcasm. She had no doubt Sesshomaru knew it as well. It was just a matter of whether he would call the girl out on it or not.

Sesshomaru's eyes had narrowed when she spoke. She kept her eyes downcast and faced him as was proper, but her tone could not hide her anger. He was curious where it had been buried when they first met, as it seemed to surface more often now. However, her tone was not the problem. It was her words. They reminded him that her scent did not bother him, or more precisely, the only reason it did was because he felt he should recognize it. It tugged at long-buried memories that refused to surface and that more than anything irritated him. The fact that even her heated skin from her earlier bout did not smell unclean like humans usually did only further served to aggravate him.

When he finally spoke, his cold voice was the only indication of his irritation. "At least you are aware of your inferiority, miko. You will be given one half-hour. I trust the taijiya to keep you safe for such a short distance, as this one will still be able to sense you. Do not make it necessary for me to retrieve you."

Sumiko had to clench her hands by her side, and she was grateful that Sango spoke for them both. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. Thank you."

Sango grabbed her arm and then their packs before anything else could be said. They were nearly to the water before Sumiko finally let it out. "He is such an arrogant asshole!"

Sango turned to her with wide eyes. "Shh! He can probably still hear us."

Sumiko lowered her voice, but her tone was still vehement. "I don't care. I know I should. I really don't want to die, and he could and very well might kill me if he thinks I'm insulting him, but holy hell does that irritate the piss out of me."

Sango was staring at the girl like she had never seen her before. She was usually so even-tempered. Moreso then Kagome even, so to see her like this was, well unusual was putting it mildly. She put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "You need to calm down. We don't have much time."

Sumiko took a few deep breaths to try and do as she was asked. She finally nodded and started digging through her bag. She spoke over her shoulder as she looked for the things she would need to at least get clean enough. "I apologize. I shouldn't have let him get to me. It's just that in the field I work in, there are still so many men that think women are just not capable of thinking critically. They have similar attitudes, and that is one thing that sets me off. I know it shouldn't."

She sighed as she took off her outer garments and waded out far enough to rinse off. Sango was right behind her. The older woman gave her an understanding look. "In my village, it made no difference whether you were male or female, as long as you could fight. However, in others, I have seen it happen often. I know what you speak of. It isn't the same thing, but I can understand why Sesshomaru's arrogance would remind you of such. Just remember that he is a Daiyoukai. He stands above other youkai. He is the Western Lord and he has good reason to believe all creatures are below him. Not just humans."

Sumiko gave her a nod. "I know. Trust me, I haven't forgotten. I'll just have to work on bitting my tongue. Hopefully, I won't bite it off."

Sango chuckled at her quip, but after that, they both focused on cleaning. They had no doubt their escort would follow through on his threat if for no reason than to prove that he could. They made it back into the clearing with time to spare.

Sesshomaru didn't bother to acknowledge their return, and Sumiko wasn't sure if that irritated her or not. It shouldn't have, because any time the male looked their way usually ended with her wanting to do something that would end with her getting hurt. She did her best to push those thoughts back as she settled onto her bedroll and focused on her meditation.

As usual, it led to a lot of introspection and relaxation, but no reiki. When she finally opened her eyes to turn in for the night, she caught the Western Lord watching her. He smirked at her, and her face flushed. She knew he was aware of what she had been trying to do and the fact that she failed. She gritted her teeth and ignored him as he turned away like he hadn't been caught looking at her in the first place. She sent up a prayer to any kami that might be listening to give her the patience to make it through the next two weeks. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

* * *

The next several days passed in much the same way. Each time they stopped, it was close to a body of water, and they were given the same warning to be quick. Sumiko realized after the second time, it was more a reminder of who was in charge but didn't test it. She also realized he was stopping in those locations on purpose and was grudgingly thankful. Even if she knew his reasoning was probably selfish, it was still nice to be able to stay clean.

Since they were flying, they had made excellent time, even with stopping early each day, and were expecting to arrive at the temple the following day sometime. That had Sumiko's spirits up, as that would mean their trip was halfway over, but it didn't help her focus. Still, she was practiced enough on her meditation by that point that she was able to block out thoughts of anything but her breathing. That was what she focused on as she continued to try to reach the one thing that still eluded her.

As the miko settled into her nightly meditation, Sesshomaru's gaze was once more drawn to her. It happened more often when the night grew still and quiet. Her scent was not the only thing that was bothering him. He knew of her dislike of his treatment of her, but she had never been anything but polite in his presence. He could not kill her for the aggravation he could smell coming from her any time their eyes met, though he did consider putting her in her place. She was more subtle, but just as obnoxiously bold as Inuyasha's woman had always been. It made him cringe to wonder what happened for women to no longer know their place in the distant future. He refused to admit that part of him admired her tenacity, even to himself. It would only lead to insolence if she ever found out.

As he watched her sink into her meditative state, he wondered what her block was? He had watched her bouts with the taijiya, and despite the girl's assessment of her own skills, she was improving daily. Had her teaching began when she was younger, he had no doubt that she would already far outstrip the older woman, not that he ever planned to tell her so. It made her lack of progress in accessing her reiki odd. Especially since he had first-hand knowledge of how powerful it could potentially be. The burns on his wrist took a full day to completely heal. Despite her exterior, the young miko held a great deal of power.

He almost wondered if it would be wise to allow her to train for much longer, but he smirked at his thoughts. She was only a miko. No matter how strong she was, she would never be a threat. With that thought in mind, his smirk widened slightly as he pushed a wave of his youki toward her. If her reiki had reacted to it once, it might again.

Even he was shocked when the wave hit her, and her eyes snapped open. At the same time, a pink bubble appeared around her and expanded until it covered half the clearing. It forced Jaken to jump back to keep from being touched. He almost felt sorry for his retainer. He had a feeling if the imp had even brushed against it, he would not have walked away unscathed.

His gaze was drawn back to the center of the bubble, where the taijiya had scrambled to the miko's side and seemed to be trying to break her from some sort of trance. He could hear a note of panic in her voice and raised a brow when he realized why.

"Sumiko! Drop the barrier! Snap out of it! You're blocking everything, even the air. Breathe!"

He tilted his head when the older woman slapped the girl hard enough for her head to jerk to the side. It seemed to do the trick as the pink barrier shattered and faded away. He eyed them both with interest as the miko took in gasping breaths. A great power, indeed. Now, the question was, would she learn to harness it, or would she become a nuisance that would need to be eliminated? That remained to be seen.

Sango patted Sumiko on the back and helped her sit up. They both studiously ignored the spot where the daiyoukai was sitting. It didn't take much effort to realize what had happened. Once her breathing was even, Sango gave her a worried look. "Are you alright?"

Sumiko nodded. "Yeah, he just took me by surprise." She paused and looked across the way out of the corner of her eye. She knew he wouldn't be watching, but she had no doubt he was listening. She still lowered her voice. "I apologize that you got caught up in that, but he may have actually done me a favor."

Sango sat back in shock, and neither of them noticed Sesshomaru look back, though his interest was hidden behind his indifferent façade. Sumiko nodded. "I was following the same path as before, as always, but when his youki hit me, it was like… I guess you could say it was like someone took a deer trail and cleared it into a highway."

Sango frowned. "A highway?"

Sumiko sighed. "A well-traveled and wide road. The point is, I can feel the path now. I know how to find it, I don't have to search." She reached over and grabbed an arrow from the quiver she carried. She then concentrated until the whole thing was covered in a pink glow.

Sango looked up and grinned. "That's great!"

Sumiko put the arrow back in her quiver and stood before she bowed to Sesshomaru. He raised one brow at the action. "Sesshomaru-sama, I am unsure if it was your intention to test me or assist me, but I must thank you for pushing me. I am sure that I would have found my reiki eventually, but with your aid, I now know that I will no longer be a peril to you or myself and can better defend myself against dangers. Thank you."

"Hn." That was his only response before he got up to leave the clearing. He only paused long enough to call out once. "Jaken, make sure the camp is secure for the night. This one will be back by morning."

The imp bowed to him and reassured him it would be done, but Sesshomaru was already gone. When he disappeared, Jaken turned to the women with a glare, but they both ignored him. Sumiko had expected nothing less from the arrogant male, but she had hoped he would at least be a little more gracious. Still, they did have a temple to tackle the next day, so turning in early was a good idea. Both women continued to ignore Jaken and his grumbling while they settled in for sleep.

 **A/N:** I know it may be hard to see now, but we all know that Sesshy still isn't fond of most humans. He only tolerates them lol. That's okay, we are seeing improvement, even if he doesn't like to admit it :) I think it will be interesting, especially when we get to talking about the reason he offered in the first place. :) I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was only midday when Sesshomaru moved to land the next day. Sumiko had not seen any sign of the temple they had been looking for, but Sango assured her they were not far. It made sense that the daiyoukai lord would not want to get closer. Once they were on the ground, he made himself comfortable, and the two women continued on foot.

It was less than half an hour before the trees cleared, and the torii came into view. It was in impressive and intimidating sight with stairs that extended up the hillside to the point that they could not see the top. Sumiko wanted to groan at the thought of climbing them all, but she reminded herself that it couldn't be that bad after all the training she had been through for the last month.

When they made it to the top, the courtyard was eerily silent, but they still made their way over to the temizuya to cleanse themselves as was proper. Once they finished, Sango led them to the public building to see if they could find anyone to speak with. Sumiko still had little idea what they were going to ask, but she was only there to add her two cents when necessary.

Inside they found a single monk meditating. Sumiko followed Sango's example and bowed until the man stood and turned to face them. He gave them a genial smile before he spoke. "What has brought you to our temple today?"

"We had hoped someone here would be able to help us find some information. There is a place near our village that we had thought was placed by the kami, but it has recently become unstable. We are not sure how to proceed and wanted advice."

The man frowned at Sango's words. He sounded even more doubtful than he looked. "And what made you believe the kami had anything to do with this item?"

Sango gave him an understanding look. "For years, the well has been used to eliminate the remains of any youkai that have been defeated in the area so that they cannot be reborn, nor can their remains be used by others to haunt the village and surrounding areas. It has only been beneficial."

The old monk nodded, but he was still frowning. "That does make sense, but what has happened that you have come to us now?"

The two women shared a look. No one outside of the village knew of the other properties of the well, or how Kagome had come to them, but they had decided that it would be best to at least share a part of the truth. They would have to in order to get the best answer.

Sumiko nodded and stepped forward. She just hoped her lack of knowledge didn't jeopardize things. "Because a few weeks ago it did something it had never done before. It pulled me from my home and to this place without any discernible cause. We have tried to use it to send me back, but it will not function anymore at all."

The man took a step back and gasped. His eyes were wide as he stared at her. "Youkai!"

Sumiko couldn't hold back a snort, but thankfully Sango spoke up quickly. "No, honored houshi. She is a miko, though she only recently learned of her heritage."

His eyes were still wide, but he gave the girl an evaluating look. His voice did not sound convinced. "It is easy to make the claim, but not as simple to prove."

Sumiko swallowed her irritation and bowed to the man. "You are correct, but I have learned nominal control of my power. What would you wish me to do to prove our claim?"

The monk put his hand to his chin for a moment before he finally nodded. "We have recently captured a demon. We have it trapped and were preparing to purify it, but if you are what you claim to be, you should be able to do so, correct?"

Sumiko gave Sango a wide-eyed glance. Yes, she had managed to gain access to her reiki, but she hadn't really had a chance to put it to use yet. Sango gave her a smile and a nod to try and reassure her. At that, the girl turned back. "I will do as you ask. I am still learning, but I believe I should be able to."

The monk finally smiled once again. "Then, please follow me. I am sure the other monks will be glad for the assistance."

The two women followed him through the complex and to a smaller building near the back. Sango stopped them a short distance away before she grabbed Sumiko's arm with a frown. She looked down at the girl and whispered. "Do you feel anything?"

Sumiko frowned as she concentrated like Kaede had shown her. It was several seconds later that she shook her head. "No, but that doesn't mean much."

Both women nearly jumped when the monk turned back to them with a solemn face. "This one is wily. Be cautious as he may be hiding."

Sango let go of Sumiko's arm, but she barely relaxed. They both stepped forward at the man's urging. He waited until they were right beside him before he spoke again. "You must enter as soon as the door is open. The entry is sealed, but it could still escape. Do what you must."

When Sumiko nodded, he opened the door, and both women rushed in. As soon as they cleared the doorway, the monk slammed it shut behind them. Sumiko froze at the sudden action and tried not to panic. He had said there was a chance the thing could escape, but she couldn't see anything. She also couldn't hear anything except for Sango's breathing, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't sense anything either.

After a few seconds, she heard Sango start to move, and she wanted to call out, but it wasn't long before she heard the other woman stop again. Her voice was hard when she called back. "There is nothing here."

Sumiko instantly felt herself relax, but only for a moment. As soon as the meaning of those words hit her, she turned to the door and tried to open it, only to find it would not budge. She then banged on it while she tried to keep her voice even. "I believe there may have been a mistake. There is no youkai in here. There is nothing in here but us."

It was several long seconds before they finally heard a response, but it wasn't the man that had led them. "And so it will remain. Do not think you could fool us. Your arrival did not go unnoticed. You traveled with a youkai, and yet you claim to be a miko. Preposterous. If you once were, you have surely gone the way of the kuro miko."

Sumiko took a step back and scoffed. She felt Sango step up beside her and put a reassuring hand on her arm as she spoke up as well. "Please understand it is not what you believe. Yes, we were traveling with the Lord of the Western Lands, but it was only because he offered protection for Sumiko. It is odd circumstances to be sure, but we would be more than willing to explain if you would let us out."

They heard murmuring on the other side of the door before the second man spoke derisively again. "You openly admit to accepting aid from a youkai, and expect us to aid you? Nonsense. You will remain here until we have dealt with the demon. Then we will determine what to do with you."

"Wait!" Sumiko suddenly felt her heart in her throat. She wasn't sure who she was more afraid for, and that didn't help matters. She did know she couldn't let them try and fight Sesshomaru. "He is a daiyoukai. It would take hundreds of men to fight him. If you go out there, you would be killed. Please, just let us go and we will leave you in peace. We don't want trouble!"

"Silence, woman! How dare you speak to us so cravenly. Just because you are unable to put aside your desire for whatever it is he has promised you does not mean our wills are so weak."

Sumiko took a step back and could feel tears of frustration in her eyes. She was glad that Sango picked that moment to also try and reason with the monks. "We are not questioning your willpower at all. It is merely that we have all come with honesty and good intentions. We were not trying to hide the fact that we traveled with Sesshomaru-sama, but he stayed back so that his presence would not cause alarm. Please, at least give us the chance to explain before you confront him."

"We will not be tricked. Hold your tongues before we cut them out and silence you. Your deaths will come soon enough once we take care of the vile demon."

Sumiko wasn't sure if she was more angry or hurt, but despite the warning, she could not hold her tongue. "At least he has honor, which is more than I can say for you! If he wanted me dead, he would just do it outright. He wouldn't resort to lies and trickery!"

There was a loud bang on the door that accompanied a yell. "Be silent, witch!"

Sumiko almost yelled back, but Sango's hand on her arm stopped her. She couldn't see the other woman, but she heard her whisper and fell silent. "Wait. We will figure this out, but we need to quit provoking them."

Sumiko patted the hand on her arm to let Sango know she had heard, but that didn't mean she wasn't still fuming. She stepped away from the door and slowly made her way across the room. It didn't take her long to understand how Sango had figured out they were alone so quickly. It was no more than a few paces across in either direction.

It was not long before they heard several sets of footsteps walk away. As they did, it finally occurred to Sumiko what was going to happen. There was a note of panic in her voice when she called out to Sango. "He's going to kill them all, isn't he?"

Sango sighed before she answered. "If they do attack, then yes, he most likely will."

Sumiko dropped to her knees as she pictured the bodies of those nameless men scattered across the clearing they had left the daiyoukai in. Her voice was shaking. "This is all my fault."

Sango was instantly by her side. "You can't blame yourself. None of us knew they would react like this."

"No, if I hadn't been so nosey, I wouldn't even be here!" Sumiko could not stop shaking, despite Sango's arm around her shoulder. "If they die, it will be because I stuck my nose in where it didn't belong!"

Sango's voice hardened a little as she grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "Listen to me. I have had some time to think about this, and I don't believe that you would have heard the well if it didn't mean for you to be brought here. Several of us have tried to go through, and none of us have succeeded, so I don't think you would have been able to either unless the well wanted you to. Don't think for one moment that there isn't a purpose for you to be here just because we don't know what it is yet."

Something in the woman's words must have gotten through to Sumiko because she finally stopped shaking. It was still several seconds before she responded. "You think I'm here for a reason?"

"Yes. I don't know what it is yet, but I do believe it is so."

The girl finally stood. "Ok, but that still doesn't make this alright. What can we do?"

Sango smiled, even though the other woman couldn't see it. "First, we need to figure out how to get out of here. I doubt they left us unguarded, but if we can get out, I think I can handle them."

Sumiko didn't like the sound of that, but it was better than the images she was still trying to block out of the dead monks. She sighed. "Alright, let's see if we can figure out the latch or something."

"You recheck the door, and I'll look for any other weak spots." After that, both women went to their respective tasks. Sumiko had to fight her panic the longer they worked. Each minute that ticked by was one more that meant they could be too late to stop a massacre.

She had lost track of time before she heard Sango call to her softly. She nearly fell over at the unexpected noise but managed to right herself and head to the corner where she heard her friend. Once she got there and knelt, the other woman whispered. "The floor here is weaker. I think I can pull it up, but I need you to make some noise to try and cover the sound."

"Alright." Sumiko didn't hesitate to head back to the door to start banging on it once more. She raised her voice and added yelling as well. "Please let us out! You have to listen. If you don't, there will be many deaths, and we don't want that to happen. Please!"

After yelling like that for several minutes, a male voice finally answered with frustration. "Be silent! Your turn will come."

Sumiko ignored him since she hadn't heard Sango give the all-clear yet. "You don't understand! We aren't here to harm anyone, but it will happen if you don't stop!"

Both women were shocked when the door was flung open, and a young monk stepped into the room with a scowl. Sumiko was nearly knocked backward, but he grabbed her haori and pulled her closer. "If you are so eager to meet your fate, I will be happy to take care of it. Come with me."

He started to drag her from the tiny building, but he made the fatal mistake of ignoring Sango. The taijiya did not hesitate to take advantage of his lapse in judgment. As soon as he was turned away, she jumped forward and clipped him on the back of the head. He crumpled immediately, and she grabbed Sumiko to keep her from going down with him. They both apologized to the young man as they ran past him and back toward the entrance.

They were thankful that they did not run into any others, though it did cause Sumiko to worry that meant all the other had gone to confront Sesshomaru. They had not even made it halfway across the central courtyard when they were shocked to stillness when the Inu Lord himself descended on his youki cloud. He was frowning as he landed in front of them.

He looked Sumiko over for a moment before he nodded. "You are unharmed."

Sumiko's heart was in her throat. Part of her was glad to know he had meant what he said enough to come after her when he found out she had been captured, but there was a much larger part that was worried about the men that had gone after him with that news.

Both women were shocked from their silence when he continued. "You are troublesome, indeed. This Sesshomaru has no desire to battle such lowly humans, nor do I wish to rescue useless mikos. At least you were resourceful enough to escape. Come, you will get no answers here, and this one wishes to waste no more time."

Kirara had flown in right behind him, but she did not seem to be agitated. Sango went to her long-time partner and gave her a pat before she looked back at Sesshomaru. He had already formed his cloud once again. Sumiko was frozen to the spot, though. She wanted to know what had happened to the men, but she was too scared to ask. No matter what the answer was, she was terrified it would be a burden she couldn't bear.

She was rattled from her shock a few moments later when they heard a chorus of male voices rushing up the stairs. Both women turned with wide eyes to see many monks running back up with staves raised. Sumiko suddenly felt a laugh bubbling up. She somehow managed to swallow it as she ran to join Sango. They both jumped up onto the neko youkai and were quickly in the air.

Sesshomaru was already a short distance away, but he was still in sight as they left the yelling monks behind. As Sumiko looked back once more, she wondered why the inu daiyoukai had chosen to walk away from the threat and come after her instead, but she wasn't going to complain. Perhaps it was no more than what he claimed. No matter what it was, she was grateful. Even if they walked away emptyhanded.


End file.
